Things Change
by Marree
Summary: Like I don't have enough series going (Lunar Cry, Fanatics...). This is a new one, and it is about one of the main FF8 characters contracting Leukemia.
1. Chapter 1

Things Change  
Chapter 1  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or its characters.   
======  
  
"Zell, are you all right?" Selphie asked as she looked at her pale friend, eyes filled with  
concern.   
  
"I'm fine. Its just some flu bug."  
  
"Maybe you should see Dr. Kadowaki about this..." Selphie watched as Zell stopped to  
rest by one of the reflecting pools in the hall.  
  
"Yeah, I did. I accidentally fell asleep in one of my classes and Cid forced me to go  
already. Its probably just nothing." Zell ran his hands through his hair.   
  
"What did she tell you?"  
  
"She said she wanted to run some tests and she'd call me back in later."  
  
"Yeah, well, maybe you should go to your dorm and rest or something."  
  
"Nah, I promised I'd help you make the sets for the student produced play. I'm fine.  
Really."  
  
Selphie leaned in and looked as he covered his face with his hands. His eyes looked  
bloodshot and he seemed too laid back.  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Hey you two what's up?" Irvine asked as he walked up. He looked at Zell. "You get that  
flu thing too? You know Xu caught that last week and she's still sick with it."  
  
"Yeah, but I'm fine, really." To emphasize the point he was trying to make he did a short  
shadowboxing thing. "See?"  
  
Irvine and Selphie watched but didn't say anything.   
  
"So what are you two up to?"  
  
"We're going to go work on the sets for the student produced play." Selphie said, while  
checking her boot soles for any stones, pine needles, or gum.  
  
"Yeah, I promised I'd help with designing and drawing them up." Zell said, leaning back  
on the edge of the pool ledge.  
  
"But Zell, this is your lunch right? I just came from there, and they even just made fresh  
hot dogs." Irvine said while adjusting his hat.  
  
"I dunno, I guess the flu just made me lose my appetite. That's why I'm helping now."  
  
"Man, you turning down a hot dog, that's like, Squall telling Rinoa he hates her."  
  
"See! That's why I think he should go lay down." Selphie said, looking back and forth  
from Zell to Irvine.  
  
"Zell, she may be right..."  
  
"Relax. Besides, I look worse than I feel." Zell looked up at both of them.  
  
"Still..." Irvine tried to argue with him. Selphie stopped him midsentence.  
  
"Wait, okay Zell, lets make a deal. If you have a fever, you go to your room and rest. If  
not, we'll let you come and help." Selphie said, walking up and standing next to Zell.  
  
"... Fine..."   
  
Zell looked down at the ground while Selphie put her hand to his forehead. Her eyes  
grew wide.   
  
"Zell, you're burning up!"  
  
"I'm sure its not that bad." He said, standing back up.   
  
"Still, you promised her you'd go rest if you had a fever. You do, so go. I'll help her with  
the sets." Irvine said.  
  
{[ Bing Bing ]}  
  
["Would Zell Dincht, student ID #127, report to Cid's office. Would Zell Dincht, student  
ID #127, report to Cid's office."]  
  
Selphie and Irvine looked at Zell, who was starting to walk away.  
  
"Promise you'll go rest after that!" Selphie called after him.  
  
"Yeah yeah..." Zell said as he walked to the elevator.  
  
~What's the big deal? I mean, its just the flu... Maybe Cid wants to give out some kind of  
punishment for falling asleep. That can't be it, he seemed really concerned when I came  
in...~  
Zell stepped into the elevator and pushed his floor.   
  
~Maybe something happened in Balamb? Or they might just need my advice about  
something... Could it be about that GFs test I got a D on? I wish they had some kind of  
announcement code... two beeps in the introduction for you're busted for a violation, one  
for a mission, three for suspension, four for just come up for a friendly chat...~ He tapped  
his foot as the elevator stopped and he waited for the doors to open. As they did he  
quickly stepped out into the waiting room outside Cid's office. Xu sat at the secretary's  
desk working on some papers, stopping every few seconds to blow her nose.  
  
"Hey Xu. Sup?"  
  
Xu looked up quickly, and then threw away her tissue.   
  
"Hello Zell. Nothing much. At least this cold is almost over. Looks like you caught it  
too."  
  
"Yeah. Well, I think at least. Kadowaki's tests haven't come back yet so..."  
  
"Oh, well, if you do, then I advise you to go buy about 25 boxes of Kleenex. I've gone  
through at least two boxes today. I feel like Rudolph."  
  
"You don't look that bad."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Any clue why they want me here?" Zell had learned from experience that Xu always  
knew why anyone was ever called up. And he also knew that if you were kind to her  
when you came up she would usually give you a clue ahead of time of what you were up  
against.   
  
"Honestly, no. But they did call your mom in. Does that help any?" Xu grabbed a pen and  
started writing on one of the documents in front of her.  
  
"Not really, but thanks."  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna buzz and let them know you're here now. Why don't you take a seat, in  
case there's a wait."  
  
"Thanks Xu." He walked over to one of the red leather sofas in the room. Xu spun around  
in her chair and pressed the intercom.   
  
"Mr. Kramer? Zell Dincht is here."  
  
["Thank you Xu. Send him in right away. And also, hold all my calls and send away all  
other visitors."]  
  
"All right Mr. Kramer." Zell looked up as Xu walked up to him. "Mr. Kramer will see  
you now."  
  
"Thanks Xu. Take it easy." Zell hopped up and walked up to the huge doors.  
  
~Do they really need these? I mean, people are freaked out enough when they get called  
up, do they need monster doors to intimidate us too? And my Ma's here too...~ He pushed  
them open and walked in. Cid sat at his desk, and Dr. Kadowaki was standing beside his  
desk. Edea also was there, looking out of one of the many rooms. Zell looked for his  
mother and saw her, sitting in one of the armchairs facing Cid's desk, with her head  
buried in her hands. She was shaking.  
  
~Is she crying?~ Zell walked over slowly. His mother had always been a strong woman.  
He had only seen her cry twice before, once when his father died and again when his  
grandfather died. He walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Ma? You okay?"  
  
She looked up at him, tears in her eyes.  
  
"...oh... my baby...." She stood up and threw her arms around him, still sobbing.  
  
"Ma? Come on, what's wrong?" He slowly pulled back from her embrace. He looked at  
Cid and the doctor. "Hello Dr. Kadowaki, Mr. Kramer. Mrs. Kramer." Edea slowly  
looked at him and gave him a very faint smile, then looked down and back out the  
window. Cid avoided Zell's gaze and played with some pens on his desk. Dr. Kadowaki  
kind of coughed, then nudged Cid.  
  
"Oh yes, right. Zell, would you please have a seat?"  
  
"Sure. Fine." Zell helped his mother back to her chair and pulled another up. He looked  
up at the two authority figures in front of him. "So what's going on? Is this about those  
tests? I mean, its just the flu..."  
  
"No... no Zell. It isn't." Dr. Kadowaki looked down at the desk. "I wish I didn't have to  
break this to you..."  
  
"Break what to me?" Zell got up from his chair. He looked around the room at all the  
people in the room. None would meet his gaze. "What the hell's going on? Why are all of  
you acting like this? If it has to do with me I think I have a right to know!" Zell walked  
up to the desk and leaned forward on it.  
  
"Zell, you have adult acute myeloid leukemia."   
  
Zell stood there stunned as Dr. Kadowaki's words sunk in.  
  
~Cancer?~  
  
"There must be some mistake. I mean, you only hear about little kids getting Leukemia.  
I'm 18 now! I'm an adult! Besides, I've only felt sick for like, a day! Day and a half at the  
most!"  
  
"Zell, I double checked this..."  
  
"Don't worry son, you are welcome to stay during your treatments. Garden is your home.  
And there's a very very good chance that you can beat this. That's what you said, right  
Dr., Kadowaki?"  
  
~It can't be...~ Zell started to back up, panic on his face.  
  
"Yes. There is a very good chance since we caught it fairly early. And depending on what  
kind of treatment he chooses, he can remain here in Garden the entire time. The furthest I  
can see him having to even move because of this is back home to Balamb. And even then  
he could still commute to Garden for classes if he chooses."  
  
"YOU'RE ALL MAKING A MISTAKE!" Zell hunched over and assumed a fighting  
position. "Xu's been sick longer than I have! Ask anyone! And I mean, I'm one of the  
strongest guys in Garden! I've beaten a sorceress! I've fought the strongest monsters!" He  
turned and ran out of the office. His mother turned around in her seat.   
  
"Zell! Wait!"   
  
"Let him go... he needs time to think." Edea said, walking back to the group. The first  
words she had spoken since Dr. Kadowaki had told all of them the news.   
  
Zell pulled open the doors and ran out.  
  
Mrs. Dincht looked at the doctor. "I've heard hot-dogs cause Leukemia. Did they cause  
it?"  
  
"No, if they did, half the students in Garden would be sick."  
  
"Zell? What's wrong?" Xu called as Zell ran past her desk.   
  
Those were the last words Zell heard, as he ran into the elevators.  
  
======  
  
A/N: This will most likely end up as a semi-depressing story. But I think there should be  
at least one revolving around this issue. Cancer is a major disease in our society. (I  
personally have lost one uncle and both my grandmothers to cancer, and I have one  
friend who has Leukemia that is in remission.) At first Quistis or Selphie was the one  
who was going to contract the disease, but after I was talking to Alan Smithee about  
doing this story, he told me that hot dogs were once thought to cause Leukemia and gave  
me the idea of using Zell. A lot of my research started at the St. Jude's hospital site and  
from information my friend "S" gave me when she was telling about her experiences with  
Leukemia. 


	2. Chapter 2

Things Change  
Chapter 2  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters.  
======  
  
Zell paced back and forth in the elevator.   
  
~Damn it why can't this thing move faster?~   
  
As it moved down past the second floor he heard the bell for the passing period before the next class ring. He raised his head but didn't pay it any real attention.  
  
~Like I'm actually gonna go to my next class. Please. I could have a deadly disease. I doubt learning about battle techniques would help me any.~   
  
The elevator came to a stop and he ran out, knocking down a pair of junior cadets as he did.  
  
~I just need someone to talk to. Someone who'll tell me that Dr. Kadowaki is stupid and I don't have cancer...~ He stopped in front of the directory and looked around. ~Who...?~  
  
"Zell! Zell! You promised you'd go to your room and rest!"  
  
Zell looked around quickly. Irvine and Selphie were walking towards him.  
  
~Not them... they'll ask too many questions. I just need to get away!~ He quickly ran off, not thinking, only wanting to get lost in the crowd of students that were filling the hall.  
  
"Zell!" He heard Irvine call out. But now he was surrounded by the mass of Garden students. All together. All happy and healthy. Living normal lives.   
  
It was then that he ran into one of them.  
  
"Ouch. Oh, Zell! I... I wanted to talk to you."  
  
"Libby. I'm sorry. Here, let me help you." Zell extended a hand to his girlfriend, Libby, who was a member of the library committee.  
  
"Oh, you're sick... I'll tell you later." Her friend who was walking with her nudged her in the ribs.  
  
"You've been putting this off for weeks... Just tell him."  
  
"I dunno..."  
  
"Tell me what?" Zell looked from girl to girl.  
  
"... We can talk later. Bye!" Libby and her friend tried to walk away. Zell grabbed her arm.  
  
"Can we talk now? I need someone to talk to now. Its important."  
  
"I have class..." Zell looked at her oddly.  
  
~Back when we first started dating she would ask me to ditch classes so she'd have someone to talk to in the library all the time. And most of the time I'd do it.~  
  
"Its important. And you owe me... remember?"  
  
Libby stopped for a second. She looked down.  
  
"Fine." She finally whispered. "Its better I get this over with quickly."  
  
"Don't talk like that. I'll start thinking you're breaking up with me." Zell said lightly, trying to make her smile.   
  
She didn't smile.   
  
She stopped walking, causing the other students to all have to walk around her. All of them grumbling about how inconsiderate people could be and how there should be no stopping during passing periods.  
  
"Libby... You're not breaking up with me.... are you?"  
  
~Hyne not now...~ Zell thought as she ran a hand back and adjusted her pigtail.  
  
"I... I'm sorry I waited so long to tell you... Its just... there's this guy..."  
  
"You're leaving me for another guy?!?! You're cheating on me?!?!" Zell yelled in confusion and anger.   
  
~Sure, I knew we were going through some rough spots, and we haven't talked as much lately, but this?!?!~  
  
"We... we've grown apart... This one SeeD who comes in the library a lot, Gregg... he joined the committee and... well... I'm sorry Zell. You'll find someone someday..." She quickly turned and started to walk off. Zell grabbed her arm.  
  
"Zell?"  
  
"You can't do this to me! Not now! Please!"  
  
"Zell, I have to go to my next class! Just let it go..." She pulled her arm free and ran down the hall.  
  
~Damn it all to hell!~ Zell turned around and kicked the closest inanimate object. A steel garbage can. As the crunch echoed though the halls, all of the students turned to see Zell kick the can once more, then run off.  
  
~How can she! I need her! I need someone! I can't take this!~   
  
He turned and ran into the training center.  
  
"Zell? Are you okay?"  
  
"Zell! Stop!"  
  
He heard Selphie and Irvine's voices.  
  
~No. Why can't they just ignore me!~ As he ran into the main complex, he heard the bell signalling the beginning of the next class. He paused for a second and looked back. ~Will they follow?~ He stopped.   
  
~Do I want them to follow me?~ He debated back and forth in his mind if they were the kind of people he wanted knowing about his newfound secret.   
  
~Would they care enough to? My girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, obviously didn't care enough to skip one class for me... would two of my friends who I'm not even that close to do something like that for me?~ Zell made up his mind and ran deeper into the center. He chose to ignore the sounds of two pairs of feet running in as the door closed behind him.   
  
~Why?~ He ran through, only stopping momentarily when some poor group of Grats dared cross his path and he had to decimate them.   
  
~I never did anything to deserve this! I always wanted to help people! Protect people!~ He finally reached the last forested spot before the entrance to the 'secret spot.' He pushed aside some branches that were blocking the way across the bridge. He yanked them off the tree and pushed forward. Small twigs scratched his arms.  
  
~Its all a lie. It all has to be a lie...~ He finally half fell into the small hidden balcony. He stumbled over to the ledge. He looked up at the sky, half on his knees.  
  
"Why me? Out of all the people in this world Hyne why did it have to be me?!?!?!~ He screamed up at the unfeeling sky. He grasped tightly onto the railing and pulled himself up.  
  
"I don't know... I honestly don't know why it had to be you."   
  
Zell's head shot up in surprise. He turned to look behind him.  
  
"Matron?" He said weakly. She walked toward him, her purple dress barely moving.   
  
"I... I wish I could change everything. Remember when you were only 4? I know you probably don't, but then..." Her voiced started to fail her. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Then whenever you'd come in crying about a little cut or scrape... all I'd have to do is pick you up and give you a band aid and... and... and give you a cookie and suddenly everything would be alright. No matter what happened... to you I was a miracle worker... because whenever I did that, you always said it healed everything and made it all better."   
  
"Only the blue mini-mog band aids though..." Zell said, surprised he actually remembered.  
  
She stood next to him now, and put her arm around him.  
  
"Hyne I wish I still had that power. I wish I could just get a band aid and make this all better."   
  
"Is it a mistake?" Zell looked at her. His eyes pleading for her to lie to him.  
  
"It is. Its a mistake for Hyne to give a young man like you a disease like this." She saw him start to look down, almost at the point of crying. She put her arms around him and held him.  
  
"I'm scared...."  
  
"My little Zell.... always trying to do what's right...." As he started to kneel down she kept holding him, and knelt down next to him. ".... You always tried to help everyone... even if it earned you the name Crybaby.... or Chicken-Wuss... Always trying to be a part of the crowd... trying to be noticed... trying to be accepted...." She knelt her head on his shoulder.   
  
"Matron.... Libby.... she broke up with me.... She wouldn't even.... even talk to me."   
  
Edea raised her head and looked Zell in the eyes.  
  
"You know that if someone would even think about treating you like that, then she doesn't deserve to be with you. You can do better than her Zell."  
  
"But.... I don't want... I don't wanna be alone Matron..."  
  
"You're not." Edea pushed some of Zell's hair out of his face and looked him in the eyes.  
"You will never be alone."  
  
Zell sniffled a little, and started to rise. Edea got up quicker though, and held her hand out to him. He took it gently, and she helped him up.  
  
"Are you alright?" She noticed how long it took him to get up.  
  
"Fine... I'm just a little sore..."  
  
"Zell? Are you alright?" Selphie walked into the Secret Area. "Irvine! I found him! And Edea's with him!" Selphie yelled as she turned to face look out of the Secret Area.  
  
"Do you want them to know?" Edea whispered.  
  
~Do I?~ Zell watched as Irvine walked in holding his ears.  
  
"Selphie, I was right outside!"  
  
"Sorry.... I didn't know."  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Really!" She turned to look at Zell. She suddenly looked all worried. "Is something wrong? What's going on?"  
  
Zell looked at Edea and slightly shook his head. "Nothing... Libby just broke up with me and I took it a little hard at first I guess.  
  
"You sure?" Irvine looked at Zell closely. Edea nodded.  
  
"Yes, that's all Irvine. Aren't you two supposed to be in class?"  
  
"Well... we saw Zell attack that garbage can and we were worried..." Selphie said. Edea smiled.  
  
"I'll see about clearing you. Now run along." Selphie and Irvine nodded and walked out. She turned to Zell.  
  
"I know. Eventually I'll tell all of them." Zell said as he sighed.  
  
"First you really should go and see Dr. Kadowaki though... you didn't hear everything. There's a lot you need to know. Especially about treatment..."  
  
"I know. I will."  
  
"Promise me." Edea looked at him. "I've known you since you were three years old.... and... I'm scared too. I don't want to lose you. You're one of my children Zell."  
  
Zell looked down at the ground and nodded his head slightly.  
  
"I'll go now."  
  
"Alright... don't worry about classes or anything. I'll take care of that."  
  
======  
  
What can be worse than finding out you have Leukemia? Finding out the person you love and think will be there for you won't. Don't worry, things will get a little better from here on out.  
  
Also, I'm keeping the chapters kind of short, because I know sometimes people avoid stories if they see the story is too many kb.  
  
Next chapter: Zell hears the full story about his cancer... 


	3. Chapter 3

Things Change  
Chapter 3  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: I don't own FF8. And the 'Bring the body closer' part was from an old George Carlin skit. (I don't know if I spelled his last name right. He was great in Dogma too.)  
======  
  
~I don't want to go there now.~   
  
But despite what Zell wanted, his feet still continued to carry him toward Dr. Kadowaki's office. He walked through the deserted halls, only sometimes seeing a stray student trying to ditch their next class or someone going somewhere with a pass. No one he knew though.   
  
~So why am I? No one's forcing me.~   
  
Edea had trusted him when he said he'd visit the doctor and had gone to do some application processing on the third floor. And Irvine and Selphie had each gone off to there classes when they were fed the lie about 'everything being okay.' He was alone now, and free to do whatever he wanted. He didn't have to keep his promises to Edea or his friends.  
  
And yet still he found himself walking down the hall to the infirmary.  
  
~Its still so busy...~ He noticed as he stopped before the automatic doors. All the students came here for advice, help, or even a friendly card game. And despite all the people there, they still only really needed Dr. Kadowaki. She had some younger doctors there too, who would help out with small things. And there were always student volunteers. Aids who wanted to do some good and volunteer, either for fun or to make themselves feel good.  
  
~I should come back later. She has enough people bothering her.~ He watched as a group of five SeeDs came up to Dr. Kadowaki and started talking to her all at once.   
  
He started to turn around when he saw out of the side of his eye the doctor waving to him.  
  
~Damn.~ He turned back around and nodded his head to her, and slowly walked in.  
  
"Zell. I was hoping you would be coming by."  
  
"Dr. Kadowaki, I was wondering if you could help me with something..."  
  
"Dr. Kadowaki, is there anything else you need..."  
  
"Yes, but you're busy. I'll come back later." Zell watched as the students all clamored around her.  
  
"Nonsense. You're my number one priority right now." He saw the doctor turn to all the students and SeeDs there.   
  
"I'm sorry, but I have some important business to attend to. Class is dismissed early today."   
  
Zell watched as almost all the students filed out of the room. Only there SeeDs remained in there. He could tell that they were medical students.  
  
"Nephen, you can go too. Aeron and Sionna please stay." Zell watched as one of the male SeeDs exited without a word. The remaining man and woman stayed.  
  
"I think what we have to talk about is private." Zell said, looking at both students harshly.  
  
"Sionna and Aeron are the most advanced medical division SeeDs we have. No matter what course of action you choose to take, they will be assisting." Zell crossed his arms over his chest and shot daggers at the two of them.   
  
"Fine."  
  
"Come, we'll all talk in my side office. Excuse me while I lock the doors. I don't want all of us to be disturbed." Zell still continued looking at the two other SeeDs.  
  
~Just what I need, an audience to watch me while I suffer.~  
  
The four of them walked into a small side office attached to the infirmary. Dr. Kadowaki motioned for the three of them to sit down while she took off her white overcoat.  
  
"Zell, I have already discussed all of this with your mother and the headmasters. They know the choices of treatment you have open to you and have agreed to support you in anyway possible. They also all agree that everything is up to you. Every aspect of the treatments will be your decision."  
  
"Treatment?" The blond SeeD asked.  
  
"Yes... I forgot. You two don't know. Zell?"  
  
~What? What does she want from me?~  
  
"What do you want? Permission? If it were up to me they wouldn't even be here. I don't care. Tell them whatever you want." He folded his arms over his chest and stared at the diplomas that covered the walls. Dr. Kadowaki sighed.  
  
"Zell has adult acute myeloid leukemia. It is a type of leukemia that progresses quickly. It is found in bone marrow and blood. In this type of leukemia, the blasts that mature into white blood cells, granulocytes, do not mature. The immature blasts become too numerous and then are found in the blood and bone marrow, and there aren't enough white blood cells."   
  
"So it keeps cells that fight infections from growing." Sionna stated.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Zell looked over at Sionna and Aeron.  
  
~Great. Pity. Just what I needed. Hyne, I shouldn't have come here.~  
  
"So? Big whoop. If I were afraid of dying I wouldn't have become a SeeD. Any idea what caused it?" Zell looked away from the two assistants.   
  
~I can't deal with two cling-ons like that. Look at them. Like gawkers at an accident. I can just imagine them if I'd die. 'Oh Dr. Kadowaki? Can you bring the body closer? Thanks!' Yeah, they're real helpful.~  
  
"Well, there can be many causes for this kind of leukemia, and we still aren't positive about all of them. One cause is exposure to electromagnetic fields. There isn't enough research to completely verify that though..."  
  
"Could those fields... could they be given off by machinery? Like, for example, in the Desert Prison in Galbadia they had this mechanical arm, that had older control panels..." Zell's heart stopped momentarily.  
  
"I suppose that is a good example of what could cause this..."   
  
~Damn Quistis and Selphie... volunteering me to operate the arm.~ Zell sank back in his chair.  
  
"Especially if it was old equipment. Why?"  
  
"No reason..." Zell stole a glance at the Aeron and Sionna. Aeron was still staring at him, but Sionna was now focusing her attention on the doctor.  
  
~Yeah, stare all you want now, cause I might not be around much longer.~ Zell shot him an evil glance. Aeron looked surprised and quickly looked forward. ~Ha. Chicken-Wuss.~  
  
"Now Zell, about your treatment options. I would normally recommend chemotherapy. That is usually the most successful. You also could have radiation therapy if you wished."  
  
"What about a bone marrow transplant?" Sionna asked.  
  
"That is still experimental with this type. Plus it is usually done with close family members."  
  
"So? We can test his mother, right?" Aeron asked.  
  
"No, that isn't possible. Zell is adopted."   
  
Zell looked at the two again. Sionna still looked forward, but Aeron was giving Zell yet another pity glance.  
  
~Ass...~ He thought as he sent an obscene gesture in Aeron's direction.  
  
"So Zell, you have a choice between chemo and radiation." Dr. Kadowaki said. It was obvious she had witnessed the exchange between him and Aeron, but she chose to ignore it.  
  
"What's the difference?"  
  
"Chemo involves using drugs to treat the cancer. We could arrange it so you could take them   
orally or by using needles. Radiation therapy would use x-rays to kill the cancer cells. This can only done by a machine though."  
  
Zell nodded and considered what he had heard.   
  
"Would I have to leave Garden for either of them?"  
  
"No. I have some friends at a clinic in Deiling. If you chose radiation, they'd send us the machine we need. If you choose chemo, then we can just handle everything here."  
  
"Would I lose my hair?"  
  
"... Yes, in both cases that would happen. And both treatments have similar side effects. With chemo, you would most likely lose your hair. You would also have nausea and possible flu-like symptoms. However, chemo works in cycles. You'd have a cycle of chemo, then a recovery period, and so on. We could give the treatments here, or even in your room. With radiation therapy it is given in a similar way. However, in addition to losing your hair, he nausea, and flu-like symptoms, you woud also be exhausted most of the time, and you would have very little appetite."  
  
~So basically either way I'm stuck.~  
  
"What happens if I wait a while?"  
  
"I strongly advise against that. Acute cases have to be treated immediately. Our goal would be to bring remission on as quickly as possible. And then, even when you are in remission, for a few months, maybe even a year, we would have continuation therapy. That would be to kill any remaining cancerous cells. You have a very good chance of going into remission though. We caught this fairly quickly and many people with acute leukemia are cured."  
  
"So I basically have to decide now. Right away."  
  
~So... do I want to have a machine bombarding me with strong, possibly harmful, rays? Or would I rather be doped up on drugs?~  
  
======  
  
Find out next chapter what treatment Zell decides on....  



	4. Chapter 4

Things Change  
Chapter 4  
by Mariye  
  
======  
Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.  
======  
  
"Zell?"  
  
Zell looked up at the doctor. He hadn't been aware that while he thought time had passed.  
  
"I think I'd prefer chemo. I'm gonna be enough trouble already. I don't want you to have to get a whole huge machine brought into Garden all for me."  
  
"Alright. You do understand that it would be no problem at all if that was the treatment you would prefer."  
  
"Yeah, still."  
  
"Fine then. Well, then you have some more options with chemotherapy. You could take pills or you could have injections..."  
  
"Pills. I don't really like needles..."  
  
"Then how did you end up with that tattoo?"   
  
Zell turned. Sionna was looking right at him. One of 'them.'  
  
"None of your business."  
  
"Fine then. Be that way." She stuck her tongue out at him and faced Kadowaki again, tossing her auburn red hair back. Zell saw Aeron nudge her with his elbow and her whisper something back to him. Whatever she said shut him up, and now aside from a quick glance at Zell, Aeron was trying to look focused and mature.  
  
"Anyway. We would be able to arrange for you to possible take pills. Of course I'd want you to take them here, under the supervision of Sionna, Aeron, or myself. Also, despite the fact that the chemo will cause some side effects, there is a possibility that we can reduce the effects of some of them."  
  
"Are you sure that 'they' would be able to handle this?" Zell asked. Dr. Kadowaki looked at her two students and nodded.  
  
"Yes, I believe they would. Aeron has studied with me for four years now, and Sionna for three. And despite the fact that Aeron is studying psychiatry, he still is very good in general medicine. And Sionna has always worked well here. I trust them completely, and eventually I think you will too."  
  
~Fat chance.~  
  
"Fine. So when can I start treatments?"  
  
"I think it may be possible for you to start them by the week's end if you'd like. Barring any unforseen circumstances of course." Dr. Kadowaki stood up.  
  
"Circumstances?"  
  
"Since the cancer is reducing the number of white blood cells in your body, you may become more prone to catch viruses or infections. I'm guessing that if you were to get sick, Lheia would be hesitant to start your chemo treatments." Sionna said, rising also.  
  
"Lheia?" Zell looked at Sionna.  
  
"Since Aeron, Sionna, and I work so close together, I insisted that they call me by my first name. I also request that you do the same, since we now will be seeing so much of each other."   
  
"Oh. So if I'm sick, you don't wanna start all this yet."  
  
"I would want to hold it off. Even though the chance of there being an odd reaction to the drugs is slight, I still wouldn't like you to have to go through your first treatment session while you're ill. I would hate for you to have to suffer with the illness and the side effects on treatment."  
  
~Makes sense I guess...~  
  
"Fine."  
  
"Also, when are you planning on telling everyone?" Lheia asked as she pulled her coat off of a wall and put it back on.   
  
~I hadn't thought about that....~  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
"Well, I think they'll notice if you start losing your hair and you're continually ill." Sionna said while walking out.   
  
"Wait a moment Sionna." Lheia said as she walked in front of the three of them. "I have two things to say before we adjorn. Zell, I suggest you tell your close friends only. They will probably be the only ones who really need to know. If you need help figuring out how to deal with that, talk to Aeron. He is very good at listening and offering ideas. The second thing I ask is a request. Zell, these two SeeDs will become a very big part of your life in the coming months. You will probably be seeing them at least once a day. I would like the three of you to spend some time together. "   
  
Dr. Kadowaki walked out of the small office. Zell looked at Aeron and Sionna.  
  
~Yeah right. Like I want to deal with either of them.~  
  
"Well, I'm free next period. Its my lunch. What about you two?" Aeron asked, looking from Sionna to Zell.  
  
"I could probably make it. I have a study period, but the instructor in charge is a friend of mine. He'd probably let me out if I told him it was infirmary business." Sionna said, while leaning against the door. "What about you?"  
  
"Sorry, but I have other things I have to do. More important things. Excuse me." Zell walked out of the office slowly.   
  
~Let them see that they are nothing to me. Take my time.~  
  
"Well excuse me hotshot. Hyne, if I'm willing to miss a class, then you think he'd be willing to try to meet us halfway." Sionna said, her blue eyes turning cold. Zell walked a little slower, so she would realize he had heard, but still think he didn't care.  
  
"Come on Sionna, lighten up. He's got cancer!"  
  
Zell walked out and down the hall.  
  
~Huh, I wonder what she said after that.~ He wondered as he walked out into the main hallway.  
  
"Yo Chicken-Wuss! Where you think you're going?"   
  
~Damn it.~ Zell turned around to see Seifer and his lackeys walking up.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"VIOLATION."  
  
"Yeah, Fuj's right ya know. No walking through the halls during passing period without a note." Raijin said, placing his hands on his hips.  
  
"That only applies when someone's supposed to be in a class. If someone has a free period they're allowed to roam the main hallways." Zell said matter of factly.  
  
"But you have a class now, don'tcha Chicken-Wuss?" Seifer asked, while walking up to Zell. Breaking away from his group.  
  
~Wrong day for this Seifer.~  
  
"BUT I have been excuse for the day by Matron."  
  
"Did she give you a note to back up this 'notion?'"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"BUSTED." Fujin and Raijin looked at each other and nodded.  
  
"Listen Seifer, today is just not the right day to do this, K? Cause I'm not exactly in the mood to take you and your whole little I'm better than anyone attitude. So just back off Lapdog." Zell started to walk towards the dorms.  
  
"Oooooo, he's gonna get it, ya know...." Raijin said to Fujin.  
  
"AFFIRMATIVE..." Fujin and Raijin stood on the side and watched while Seifer stormed forward and blocked Zell's path.  
  
"Listen you little Cry-Baby Brat! No one talks to me like that, especially you! Gimme your ID."  
Seifer stuck his hand out, but kept the other on the handle of his gunblade.  
  
"You couldn't listen, could you?" Zell ran forward and gave Seifer a knee to the chest. As Seifer hunched over, he landed an uppercut right to his face. Then he swept Seifer's legs out from under him. Zell stood up, brushed off his coat and walked past.  
  
~Well, I did warn him. Been meaning to do that for years. Funny how a little thing like possibly dying makes you do things you always wanted to and never would.~ He ignored the commotion Raijin and Fujin made as they went to aid Seifer, and Seifer's cries of how 'Now he was in deep trouble.'   
  
~Ooo, I'm so scared I'm shaking.~ He turned into the dorms and walked up to his room.   
  
~Funny, after everything that's happened, instead of trying to go tell everyone and agonizing over what I should do, I'm actually keeping my promise to Selphie. Why do I always have to be such a nice guy?~ He thought as he unlocked his door.  
  
~Here a guy who always gets on my nerves and tries to intentionally get a rise outta me and the girl who debates over whether to call me Pig-Wuss and Chicken-Wuss ask me to do something and I actually do it. I guess its kinda funny.~  
  
Zell collapsed onto his bed and stared at the ceiling.  
  
~So... now what?~ After sitting for about five minutes and realizing he wasn't ready to settle down just yet, he got up and went over to his punching bag. He started hitting it with quick jabs.  
  
~Hmm, so I can't imagine this as Seifer's face now, since I just beat him up and all. So who....?~ The images of Sionna and Aeron's faces popped into his head.  
  
~Didn't take long at all to think of replacements...~  
  
Just then there was a knock at the door. Zell stopped and opened it. Cid walked in shaking his head.  
  
"Zell... I assume you know why I'm here."  
  
"Well, you could be here for two reasons. Does it have to do with me dying or me beating up Seifer?"  
  
"The latter. Zell, I can understand your attacking him..."  
  
"No you can't. I told Seifer Matron cleared me. I even gave him a fair warning. Then he decided to dare try me again." Cid looked at him surprised.  
  
"You warned him?"  
  
"Yeah. I told him I was having a bad day and to basically bck off. Raijin and Fujin heard. They were there too."  
  
"Really? The whole Disciplinary Committee told me that you just attacked Seifer the second you saw him."  
  
"What? ...Figures..." Zell walked over to his punching bag.   
  
~Great, how can I envision five faces one one bag? Not enough room... I guess I'll have to switch off...~  
  
"Well, this changes things around. I had a feeling there was a good explanation. Nevermind all this then. But... I will have to take away three demerits from you."  
  
~Now six faces?~  
  
"Because of the fighting. There is no fighting in the halls, no matter how good a reason you have. Off the record though, I'm glad you finally stood up to him. I have to be going now. Good bye Zell." Cid walked out of the room.  
  
~Hmmm, is it still wrong to want to punch someone after he says he agreed with what you did? He did take away three demerits though... Eh, doesn't matter.~  
  
Zell went back to focusing on his punching. So naturally when someone came knocking again he didn't really hear it.  
  
"Zell? Its Aeron. Do you mind if I come in? Hello?"  
  
Zell stopped punching momentarily and stared at the door.   
  
~Maybe if I don't answer he'll just leave.~  
  
"Zell? Listen, I wanted to talk to you about how you're going to tell everyone. If you want I can help you figure it out."  
  
~Come on, doesn't he ever give up?~  
  
"Are you home? Come on. I know we got off to a bad start. But who knows, maybe we can be friends."  
  
~Leave. Just leave.~ Zell tried to project thoughts into Aeron's head.  
  
"Well... if you're home and just ignoring me, I live in dorm #38. I won't be home till later tonight though, I'm going T-boarding with some friends."  
  
~Yeah, I hope you fall off.~  
  
"Zell?"  
  
"Oh give it up Aeron, if he's there he's not gonna answer."  
  
"Sionna? But, I thought you had Study Hall."  
  
"I told you my instructor liked me."  
  
"Oh. Well, wanna go to lunch with me?"  
  
"Sorry, I already ate. Besides, I told Selphie I'd try to come help with stage effects for the Garden Festival if I had free time."  
  
"Okay, then I'll see you later."  
  
"Yeah, bye."  
  
~Well, guess Sionna moved up a spot and took over Raijin's former spot on the hatred list.~  
  
"Okay Zell, I know you're in there. Open up. And don't think I'll just chicken out like Aeron did, I'm a lot tougher than that."  
  
~And she's back at her old position. What to do, open the door and deal with that? Or pretend I'm not here.~  
  
"I was the one who treated Seifer when he came in and I just saw Cid leaving here."  
  
~Dang it. Maybe I can still fake her out....~  
  
"Did I mention I know how to pick locks?"  
  
Zell gave in and opened the door.  
  
"So what do you want?"  
  
"To congratulate you. You broke Seifer's nose and bruised three of his ribs. Very impressive. I take it that was the important thing that caused you to decide to ditch Aeron and me?"  
Sionna walked in like she owned the room.  
  
"You sure I didn't break those three ribs?"  
  
"Positive. Nice room, you spray it with lysol and clean it with ammonia everyday too?"  
  
Zell watched in awe as she sat down at his desk.  
  
"Listen, is there any other reason you're here other than to insult a dying man?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm a little mad about the way you're treating Aeron and me."  
  
"Well, you two don't exactly belong in this little situation. You have no right to be involved in my treatments. And I don't like your attitudes. I mean I'm sick with a deadly disease and what do you do? You come here and insult me? And don't think I didn't hear your little comment in the infirmary?"  
  
"You deserved it. Listen." Sionna got up and walked up to Zell. "I know Aeron is a dork, and you're not exactly 'thrilled' that we're going to be helping Lheia treat you, but Aeron is my friend, and Lheia thinks we are capable enough to help you. You have no right to treat Aeron and me like dirt."  
  
"If you don't shut up..."  
  
"What? You'll do the same thing to me that you did to Seifer?"  
  
======  
  
  
What will Zell do to Sionna?   
And when will he tell his friends about his disease?  
Will Seifer want revenge? 


	5. Chapter 5

Things Change Chapter 5

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.

A/N: I know right now everyone hates Sionna and probably thinks Aeron is cool. Just wait. Nevermind why I'm smiling... Let me just tell all of you now that in this series Sionna ______ is my favorite character to write.

Also, visit my new website! [http://seeds.moonfruit.com][1]

======

"Don't push me right now." 

It was more of an order than a warning or request. Sionna looked at him defiantly, then walked away.

"Know what? I don't care. Hate Aeron and me for no good reason if you want. It's your life, and you're the one missing out." Zell turned to face her. Suddenly a throwing dagger flew only an inch from his face and hit the wall behind him.

"Oh, and I'm not someone you wanna push around either." Sionna pushed the door open and walked out.

~Okay, she is now on par with Seifer. And if Seifer suddenly decides to avoid me because he's afraid I'll beat him up, well, who knows. We may have a new all time worst arch-enemy.~

Zell walked over to his bed and sprawled out.

~Hyne there's nothing to do around here. Maybe I should just take a quick nap...~

------

:::BZZZ BZZZ BZZZ:::

~Wha the?~ Zell rolled over and looked at the clock. 

~7:30AM? I slept all that time? Guess I really am sick.~ He rolled out of his bed and cracked his neck. ~What day is it? Saturday? Must have forgotten to turn off the alarm.~ He brushed off his clothes and looked at them.

~These are okay for another day. I'm not really all that hungry, but I probably should go and choke down something.~ 

He grabbed his trademark jacket off of the chair where he had left it and pulled it on. He walked out into the hall and toward the cafe, taking his time. Very few people were in the halls, probably because it was a three-day weekend. A lot of students had opted to go on weekend getaways rather than spend three days of freedom in the school.

~What about everyone? Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, Irvine, and Selphie? How am I going to tell them about all this? They'll make a huge deal out of it. And the pity. Hyne everyone's gonna stare at me like I'm a freak.~

Zell turned into the hall that led to the cafe.

~Yeah, just what I'm gonna want. Pity. And then they'll probably go on a 'let's all support Zell' kick. Show how much we love him. Gag me. Like I want to be followed around everyday when I feel rotten after chemo by a goodwill committee.~ He walked through the doors and looked around the cafeteria. His group was sitting at their usual table, all together laughing and smiling and happy. Seifer and his posse were brooding in a corner.

~Probably trying to plot revenge.~ Zell thought as he went into the line and waited. 

"Hey Zell. We have hot-dogs this morning. The usual? 2 hot-dogs, fries, and a shake?"

"Nah, I just want something light today."

"Oh, are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine. How about one of those ham and cheese hot pocket things, an apple, and a soda."

"Okay..." The cafeteria lady quickly got his breakfast and handed it to him. Zell took it and looked around. 

~Should I sit with them? They might guess something's wrong if I do. Course they probably will notice something's wrong if I don't sit with them.~

He saw an empty table by the door and sat down at it. 

~Better to let them think something's up without being around to give them hints as to what's wrong.~

As he started to try to eat his ham and cheese, he felt eyes staring at him. He looked up. At a table near his normal table, Aeron, Sionna, and a group of their friends were sitting and talking. Aeron kept pointing at Zell and nudging Sionna. Sionna appeared to be chastising him. And trying to ignore him. 

~Great. I bet all their little friends already know what's wrong with me.~ 

He looked up again to see Aeron walking over to his table.

"Hey Zell. I guess you weren't in last night. I was trying to get a hold of you. Have you told your friends yet?"

"No."

~How can I get him to go away?~

"Listen, its better if you tell them sooner. If you wait they may think that you were going to hide it from them. They also could think you don't trust them or care about them." Aeron put down his lunch. "Any reason why you're trying to isolate yourself?"

"... I just feel like being alone right now..." 

~Since he can't seem to take a hint.~

"That's normal."

"How would you know what's normal?"

"I've worked with two other cancer cases before in Trabia Garden. Its better if you try to be around friends, even if you don't want to talk."

"Yeah, well you don't act like you have experience. You look like some slack-jawed yokel gawking at a freak show attraction." Aeron didn't show any emotion after Zell said that.

~Look at me. I'm turning into Seifer. Insulting people.~

"Do you feel better after you insult people?"

"What, are you trying to get smart with me?" Zell glared at Aeron.

"No, it is a sincere question. Does doing that make you feel better?"

"I guess it does." Zell picked up his apple and looked over it.

"Have you thought about maybe trying to do something other than insulting others to try and take your mind off what is happening to you?" 

"Not really."

~Well, people can't accuse me of being a liar. I honestly haven't thought of anything I could do to take my mind off what's going on.~

"Maybe you should try joining a choir or art class. Maybe playing an instrument. The Garden Festival needs more workers." A girl in a student uniform came over and tapped Aeron on the shoulder.

"Come on Honey, you promised you'd walk me to my train."

"Alright, one second. I'll meet you outside."

"Okay." The girl smiled and walked away.

"You shouldn't isolate yourself Zell. If you do you could end up running the risk of falling into depression. You have a great life and a chance at going into remission."

Aeron grabbed his tray and stood up. He walked away after the girl.

~So a dork like that can get a girl, but a guy like me always gets dumped on.~ Zell picked up his apple and threw it into the garbage can seven feet away. He stared at the half a hot pocket and can of half empty soda on his tray.

~Waste of money.~

He started to get up and throw out his tray when he felt a gunblade at his back.

"Hey Seifer, how's the nose?"

"You are going to pay dearly for that Chicken-Wuss." Seifer accented the last two words. Zell turned and saw Raijin and Fujin out of the corner of his eye.

"And I intend to make you pay now."

"Seifer. As commander of Garden I order you to drop it."

"Ah Puberty Boy. I was wondering if the little group was just gonna watch while I dismembered your buddy here or if you were all gonna jump in and join the fun." Seifer let Hyperion drop. Zell continued walking towards the trash with his tray.

"Seifer, weapons are not allowing in public areas. As a member of the Disciplinary Committee you should know that." Quistis stepped up alongside Squall. Zell turned to watch the situation.

"Yeah, this is a special case. I need to take revenge for this." Seifer pointed to the brace that covered his nose and most of his face.

"I think it's an improvement." Irvine said as he stood up. Selphie giggled and stood up next to him.

"Did Zell do that?" Rinoa asked as she worked her way in.

~Great. Well, maybe I should just blurt out that I have cancer now two. Two surprises in one day.~ Zell leaned against the wall and watched as Seifer fumed.

"INTOLERABLE." Fujin said, swinging her arm.

"Yeah, Zell's all hostile now, ya know. He attacked Seifer. Seifer's an innocent ya know."

Zell had to hold back his laughter when he heard that. It was then he saw Sionna and her little group walk over, all chattering and happy. When they saw Seifer and the commotion taking place, they all fell silent. Sionna walked to the front of the group.

"Is there a problem Mr. Almasy?" She looked at him through half-closed eyes. Seifer looked at her, eyed her up, then put away his gunblade.

"None. None at all. Everything's just peachy." He spit the last word out at her. She folded her arms across her chest and nodded.

"That's what I thought." Seifer seemed to wait for her and her group to leave. They all stood silent. She stared him in the eyes and he stared back.

"We'll settle this later." He said as he broke away from her stare. "And as for you Chicken-Wuss, watch your back." The Disciplinary Committee walked out of the cafe defeated. Again, all of Sionna's little group started chatting.

"How did you do that?" Rinoa asked Sionna as she walked over.

"It's a secret." Two of the guys in Sionna's group laughed when she said that, and so did Selphie. Sionna turned and nodded to the people following here, and they all walked out.

"So Zell, what is all that about?" Quistis asked as she walked up to him.

~Now?~

"It's a long story. I don't think any of you want to hear it."

Zell started to turn and walk away. He felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Squall looking at him.

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes."

======

Will Zell tell everyone what's going on?

Why did Seifer back down when Sionna confronted him? Is he afraid of her?

How will Seifer get his revenge?

   [1]: http://seeds.moonfruit.com/



	6. Chapter 6

Things Change

Chapter 6

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters.

======

Zell waited until they had all walked into his room. He looked around at all of them.

~Why do they all look so confused? So scared? Its not like anything's happening to them.~

He watched as they all found places to sit. Quistis was sitting on the edge of his desk chair. Selphie, Rinoa, and Irvine all say on his bed, looking at him. Squall stood next to Rinoa, his hand on her shoulder.

"So how you wanna hear this bad to worst or worst to just bad?" Zell asked as he dropped down on the floor in front of the door.

"There's more than just one piece of bad news?" Rinoa asked as she fingered the rings on her necklace.

"Depends if you consider me beating up Seifer a bad thing."

"Well, I guess it kinda technically is." Selphie said as she bounced on Zell's bed.

~If it lasts more than ten seconds I guess its not worth hearing to Selphie.~

"I'll try and keep all this brief. First, the bad news. I beat up Seifer and broke his nose."

"Congrats Zell." Irvine tipped his hat to him. 

"Well, I suppose he did have it coming." Quistis said as she studied her boots.

"Next, Libby broke up with me."

"You owe me two hundred gil Rinoa!" Selphie said, sticking her hand out. Rinoa slapped it.

"This really isn't the right time..."

"Oh come on. You said she wouldn't tell him for another week and I said it would be this week. Pay up." Squall glared at Selphie. She stuck her tongue out at him and shut up.

"Well, since my first two little announcements seemed to bring so much joy I can just imagine how happy this last one is going to make you." Zell got up and walked over to the full length mirror on the door. Everyone was silent and watching him.

"I have cancer."

Everything was silent. Zell turned around. 

~Maybe they didn't hear me.~

"I said I have cancer. Leukemia. Adult acute myeloid leukemia." He looked at each of them. Irvine cleared his throat and when Zell tried to meet his gaze would only look down. Selphie seemed to deflate. She stopped bouncing on the bed and just stared at him in shock. Rinoa was clutching her rings and Squall's hand. Squall was just looking at the ground, still trying to comprehend the situation. Quistis was very pale, and hand her hand covering her face.

~Well, this is going well.~

"I've met with Lheia, Dr. Kadowaki, and she has told me my treatment options. I am going to have chemotherapy. I will also still remain in Garden during all this. Hopefully we'll be able to get it to go into remission. Even if that happens though, I would have to continue some chemo to get rid of all the cancerous cells. She seems to think I have a good chance of going into remission. You're the first, and hopefully only, people who I will tell about this." Zell looked at them, waiting for a response.

"Who else knows?" Squall asked quietly.

"Cid, Matron, my mother, Dr. Kadowaki, and the two interns in the infirmary, Sionna and Aeron."

"When are you going to start treatment?" Quistis asked, looking Zell right in his eyes.

"As soon as possible. Dr. Kadowaki said that since I have an acute case that it has to treated quickly."

"Could you end up dying?"

Zell looked at Selphie, who was holding her hands in her lap and looking at him.

"That is a possibility."

~I feel like I'm part of an interview. Not like I'm their friend telling them what's wrong. Its like they're analyzing everything. I have to get out of here.~

"I have to go. I told the Doctor I'd come to the infirmary for a check up. Excuse me." Zell opened the door and quickly crept out. He backed away at first, waiting to see if any of them would follow after. Would try to catch him and talk to him.

No one left the room.

He slowly walked down the hall.

~Did I honestly want any of them to follow me? I mean, I want to be alone. I don't want any goodwill committees. I just want to try and sort things out. And I probably can't do that with all of them following me around.~

Zell periodically checked over his shoulder.

~They'd only just get in the way anyway. Trying to get inside my head. Thinking they can help make things all better...~

Zell walked a little slower, then stopped by the hall that lead into the center of Garden.

~So why aren't they following me?~

Zell stood by the door and waited. 

~What is wrong with me? Why am I just standing here? I wanted time to think. I got it.~

"Hello Chicken-Wuss."

Zell turned and saw Seifer standing at the hall's entrance. Raijin and Fujin were strangely absent.

"What do you want Seifer? Get outta here."

"I want revenge twirp." Seifer made a fist and hit Zell in the stomach.

~Great. Just great.~

As Zell hunched over, he saw a small dagger fly through the air and pin Seifer's sleeve to the wall.

"Now now Seifer. What have I told you about playing nicely with others?"

Zell looked up and saw a familiar girl walking towards them. She reached over and pulled the dagger out of the wall, releasing Seifer.

"Sionna. What, are you following me?"

"I have better things to do with my time."

"Then prove it by leaving now to attend to these important things." Seifer moved forwards toward her and put his fist in her face.

"I am here actually to attend to more important things. Right now Zell is an outpatient. I was on my way to his room to remind him to come in for his checkup." Sionna pushed Seifer's hand out of her face. 

"Yeah, just wait. You and his little friends can't be around to protect him all the time."

"What makes you think I need protecting?" Zell asked, standing up straight. 

Seifer didn't answer. He just kept walking.

Zell looked at Sionna who was slipping her dagger up her sleeve.

"Staring isn't very polite. The first two times were freebies. But now since you treat me bad I'm afraid I'm going to have to start charging you."

"I didn't ask for your help."

"Yeah, but it sure looked like you needed it. Now if you excuse me, I have to be going."

Sionna started to walk away down the hall.

~What is wrong with her? Here that guy Aeron can't be nicer to me. Same with the Doctor and Cid and Matron. My friends are all probably in shock right now, but once they come to they're gonna be treating me like a king. So what's with her?~

"Where?" 

~Damn why am I even talking to her? She's right below Seifer on my hatred list.~

Zell watched as she kept going.

~Because she doesn't care.~

Zell came to the realization as he walked to catch up to her.

~She doesn't care and so she won't treat you like everyone else will. She may even treat you like there's nothing wrong with you. Plus you can tell her things you wouldn't tell everyone else because you know she really won't listen and she'll probably forget most of the things you tell her.~

"Sionna!" Zell watched as she stopped and pivoted to face him.

"What?"

"Where?"

She flipped her hair back and looked out the row of windows on the wall.

"Out. I'm not sure. I just don't want to be cooped up in here."

"Can I come?"

Sionna looked at him with her eyebrow raised. 

~What, is that idea so inconceivable to her?~

"I was planning to just spend the day alone."

"So was I."

~But the only way to truely be alone is to be with someone who doesn't care about you and who will ignore you.~

She shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Please."

It was then that Rinoa and Squall chose to walk out of Zell's room. When they spotted him they both walked over. Rinoa came over and trapped Zell in a huge embrace. Sionna watched as Squall stood with the two of them.

"Zell, are you alright?" Squall looked at him.

"Well, aside from maybe dying yeah, I'm fine." Rinoa gasped as he said that.

~Huh, who would have thought I would be good at black humor.~ 

"Listen, we all know that the way we reacted, well, we could have taken it better. We want to make it up to you. We were thinking about a road trip to Timber over the weekend. Its all up to you." 

Zell looked at his two friends in front of him, then turned to look at Sionna, who was still waiting behind him. 

======

Once again, why is Seifer afraid of Sionna?

Who will Zell go with?

Would he rather be around someone who doesn't care?

Or would he rather be with people who do?


	7. Chapter 7

Things Change

Chapter 7

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters.

A/N: Some people have said that Zell is too OOC. They have to realize that Zell has been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, and that something like that can cause sometimes irreparable things to a personality.

======

Zell looked at the three people who were waiting on him.

"I'm sorry Squall, Rinoa." Zell walked over to Sionna.

~Sorry, I don't want to be around all of you right now because you'll probably be all emotional.~

"But Dr. Kadowaki asked that I spend time with the two assistants from the infirmary that will be helping with my case. Sionna's one of them. Plus Aeron said he'd meet up with us later. So maybe another time?"

Rinoa looked a little shocked that Zell didn't want to go with them.

~What's the big deal? Its not like we're family. Just friends.~

Squall seemed to understand though.

"Alright, maybe we can do something later on today when you get back."

~He knows. Somehow he knows why I'm going with Sionna and not them. Maybe its because there was a long period of time in his life when he was acting like I am now. Thinking too much.~

"Cool." Zell looked once more at the teary-eyed Rinoa and his understanding friend, then turned away.

Sionna nodded to Rinoa and Squall and started walking away, with Zell following her.

"Perhaps you would have been happier with them." Sionna said as she ran her hand along the wall. "Don't think you're obligated to come with me just because you believe I need the company."

"Maybe I'm coming with you to get some answers."

"Then you're talking to the wrong person. I probably would have no answers to the questions you have." Sionna turned and looked at Zell. She stopped in her tracks.

"And, if this is all just about giving you an answer to some small idiotic question, then just ask it now so that I can go about my day as I had planned before and you can just go on that trip with your friends."

"I thought you would enjoy company." Sionna walked over to a single occupancy room and opened the door.

"If I wanted company," She opened her door. "I can assure you I would have no trouble finding a companion. You saw a few of the members of my posse when I was leaving the cafe. I just was planning on being alone."

"So where are we going?"

"I'm probably going to go to the coast. I'm not so sure where you're gonna go though. But, if you want, we can split a car." She walked in and pulled a bag off her desk, then walked back out. She pulled her door shut.

~Man, her attitude is worse than mine.~

"So what's with you?"

She turned and looked at him.

"So we're starting twenty questions now. What's with me... hmmm..." She started to walk back out.

"Well?" 

"Oh, just your basic hard luck Garden story. Poor little orphan. Bounced from home to home. Ended up here. Now this place is the only home I have. Of course, an orphan in Garden isn't all that rare. Don't remember much of my life before I came here." Sionna spun around and faced Zell, and started walking backwards.

"But who knows? Maybe once I was a princess in Centra who was going to rule the whole country, maybe even the whole world, until the evil sorceress killed my family."

"I meant what's with the attitude."

Sionna turned back around and walked forward.

"Its something my brother taught me. If someone treats you badly, then give as good as you get. Kinda like Karma. You treat me bad pretty much everytime you see me, so I decided to return the favor."

Zell walked a little faster to keep up with her.

"So I don't get a little reprieve because of the cancer?"

"Only if it were brain cancer and affected your judgement and personality. But actually, I figured you'd enjoy being treated like a normal person more than being treated like a china doll." She turned the corner and walked into the main hall. Zell followed.

"So if you don't like me then why even put up with me at all?"

"Because its my job. I'm part of the infirmary volunteer committee. Just like if I were a part of the disciplinary committee I'd probably dedicate my time to helping the group get revenge on you." Sionna walked up to the computer terminal outside the garage and started typing in her request for a car. "Is a regular junker okay?"

"Sure. So what's up with that Aeron guy?"

"What do you mean?"

"He seems weird."

"He's normal compared to you." Sionna grabbed the keys that the machine fed out to her and walked into the garage.

"Yo, I drive." Zell tried to grab them away from her. She pulled them out of his reach.

"Too bad." She walked towards an old jeep in the corner. She unlocked her door and climbed in, throwing her bag in the back.

"Why do you always have to be so difficult?"

"It runs in the family." She gave him a look like he should understand what that meant.

~What's the big deal? So her parents were mules. So what?~

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Sionna put on the radio and popped in a CD she had with her.

"You should know. I mean come on. My family name's famous in Garden. And during the whole Second Sorceress's War everyone was watching me like a hawk."

"I was a little busy helping to save the world during the Sorceress War..."

"Oh yes, I forgot all about that." Sionna sped away from Garden. "So where you want me to drop you off?"

"I'll just kind of hang out with you. I still have some questions."

"More? Come on now, don't you know enough?"

"Just one."

Sionna pulled the car over to the side by the beach. She turned and looked at him.

"On one condition."

"What?" 

~Great, now I'm making a deal with a devil.~

"This is it for questions and you leave me alone when we get out."

Zell looked at her and then looked down.

~Thank you Hyne, I get answers and rid of her for the rest of the day. Maybe things are looking up.~

"Agreed." Zell stuck out his hand hoping to shake on it. Sionna stared at his hand, then ignored it, instead reaching for her bag in the backseat. She opened her door and started to get out, when she turned around.

"Alright, ask."

"Why is Seifer afraid of you?"

"I honestly can't believe you don't know." She got out completely and slammed the door behind her. Zell got out of the car and followed her.

"Yeah yeah, I'm an idiot, now tell me! Its killing me!" Zell looked at her dead on, and saw her eyes flash.

"Fine. Its not killing me, the cancer is. You know what I mean though."

Sionna looked right at him.

"Fine. Seifer is afraid of me because..."

======

Oops, time's up. Tune in next time to find out why Seifer is afraid of Sionna........


	8. Chapter 8

Things Change

Chapter 8

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8 or its characters.

======

"Seifer is afraid of me because he's my brother." Sionna seemed to watch Zell, almost like she was interested in him.

~So the evil man has an evil sister?~

"Twins?" Zell asked. Sionna shook her head.

"We agreed no more questions and you said you'd leave me alone. I'll see you later." She walked off down the beach. 

~Damn, I should have seen it right away. They only way someone could ever be as bad as Seifer is if they were related to him.~ Zell walked in front of the car and sat down. ~So now what? Just sit and think? Maybe I should take a nap or something. I still feel really tired.~

He took off his jacket and bunched it up, then stuck it under his head. He laid back and listened to the waves.

~Sounds like that stuff Quistis always played when she was sitting in one place before she'd start training. That new age meditation music.~ He thought as he closed his eyes and listened to the calming waves.

~At least Squall seems to understand what I'm going through. And Rinoa looked like she was coping. I wonder about Quistis, Irvine and Selphie though. I mean, Quistis gets obsessive and worries if when she writes a paper whether she misspells words. And Irvine and Selphie are both kind of happy-go-lucky people. This will probably bring them both down. I almost feel sorry for them. That's almost funny. I'm the sick one and I feel sorry for them.~

-{ Tchak! }-

~What the?!?!~ Zell sat up and looked. 

~What's a blue dragon doing here?!?!~ Zell thought as he saw the huge beast heading right for him.

"Diablos!" Zell called out. It was then he came to a chilling realization.

~Shit! I forgot to junction my GF's when I woke up!~

Zell scrambled to his feet and raised his fists.

~At least I still have these.~ 

"Nike! Come forth!" Zell turned and saw Sionna standing behind him, hands raised. 

[Champion's Light!] An otherworldly voice said, as a woman who appeared to be an angel dropped out of the sky. She looked around, then rested her eyes on the dragon. The woman pointed her hands at the creature. A beam of blinding white light shot out and propelled the creature back. As the woman faded away, Sionna gave a small laugh.

"And you supposedly helped save the world?" She looked at Zell, shook her head, then started to walk away.

"I didn't ask for your help."

"But you needed it."

"How do you know?" Zell ran up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Lets see, you called a GF and nothing came. Meaning you didn't junction anything even though you know the coast is a very popular area for monsters. Good job on that by the way. Second, you thought you'd be able to take on and beat up a dragon with your bare hands. Only way that would be happening would be if you had about three hours and a lot of potions. Finally, you were backing up, as if you were going to retreat. You know, soon I'm gonna have to start charging you for my services." Sionna pulled her arm free.

"By the way, I don't LIKE being grabbed."

"Listen, you are just begging for me to beat you up!"

"Sorry, but I make a point of not fighting someone who I know I could beat. There's no challenge." She walked back to where she was sitting.

"Listen, I am sick and tired of this attitude!"

"Then why did you dome with me?"

"I have my own reasons." Zell watched as she smuggly started to pack up her bag.

"You think I'm hot and sexy, don't you? Sorry, but you're not my type Chicken-Wuss. I want a man. Not some dork who can't even protect himself."

~What is she smoking? Is all of Seifer's family like this?~

"WHA THE?!?!?!"

"I know, its hard for you to comprehend, but don't worry, one day you'll find yourself a nice hen and settle down. Let's go." She started walking towards the car.

"Listen you little Bi..." Sionna put her hand on his mouth and stopped him.

"Now now, didn't your mother ever teach you not to swear in front of young ladies?"

"Yeah, but I don't see any young ladies around here." Zell pushed her hand away. "Give me the keys."

"Why should I? I rented the car in my name. If you drive it and wreck it, then I get busted for it." 

Zell pushed Sionna to the ground and pulled off her backpack. He held it in both hands in front of her.

"I will toss this into the ocean if you don't give me the keys."

~I'm probably gonna incur Seifer's wrath for this, but this girl has it coming to her.~

"You wouldn't." She stared him in the eyes, then caved. She pulled the keys out of her jean pocket and tossed them at the ground in front of his feet.

"Was that so hard? Go get in." Zell walked to his door.

~Move slower. Or else she'll know something is up.~

He slowly opened his door and slid in. Sionna was just reaching for the handle, when he clicked all the locks.

"Zell, open the door."

Zell looked at her and mouthed the word what.

"Zell, I know you can hear me. Open the door."

"I'm sorry Sionna! I can't hear you! What? You want to walk home?"

"ZELL!"

Zell put the key in the engine and started the car up.

"Okay then, if you want to take a nice walk, fine. I'll see you around!"

Zell sped away, with Sionna at first running after him.

~I guess she'll have a lot of time to think about what she's done to me while she's walking home.~ Zell smiled as he watched the Garden grow bigger and bigger. 

---

Zell walked happily out of the garage. 

~Finally I seem a little happier. I guess thats why Seifer picks on people. I actually feel a little better about myself now.~

Selphie saw him and instantly ran up and hugged him.

"Hi Zell! How are you? I'm so sorry about this. Are you feeling okay? Where's Sionna? Squall said you went out with her."

"I did. She was too much to be around, so I ditched her."

"You ditched her?" Selphie let go and backed up, staring at him. "That is so mean! And she is such a nice person! How could you do that to her?" 

~Nice? She utters that word when talking about Sionna?~

"Listen, I don't know if we're talking about the same person."

"Sionna Almasy?"

"Yeah, thats her."

Selphie hit his arm lightly.

"That's her! She is so nice! She helps out at that shelter in Balamb. Oh, and when Trabia was hit she went to help out. Plus she helps out in the clinic here and is helping with the festival."

"So she does a lot of nice stuff. That doesn't make her a good person."

~It makes her a hypocrite.~

"Listen. I know her personally and I've known her ever since I got here. She has always been pretty decent to everyone. In fact, the only person I've ever really seen her mad at is Seifer. She does have an... odd... personality though." Selphie looked up at him. "Maybe you just caught her on a mad day. So, I'm going to the stage to work with decorations. Wanna come help?"

~Well, I could be doing worse things.~

"Are a lot of people going to be there?"

"Irvine, you, and me." Selphie counted on her fingers as she talked. "And even though you treated my friend bad, since you've had a pretty bad few days and I know what a sweetie you really are, I'll let you slide." Selphie grabbed Zell's arms. 

"What's the show going to be?"

"Les Miserables. Quistis loves Hugo and musicals, and she had the final say for the student play. Wanna be in it?"

"I don't sing."

"Yes you do! I heard you when back when we all went to the pool!"

Zell stopped and paused.

"Um, but I was singing in the changing room there. In the mens' room..."

"Oh Irvy and Squall had a tape recorder and..." Selphie stopped and turned around to look at Zell in the face. "Um, nevermind!" 

"You recorded me in the shower!?!?!"

~Well, at least this will be fun. Play mad for a while. Course I do have to find that tape before it becomes available to the public.~

"It was all Irvine! Really!" Selphie started giggling and running as Zell chased her around the halls.

"Ahahaha! Gotcha! Now to administer the coochi-coo treatment!" Zell said as he grabbed Selphie outside the quad.

"Oop, Irvine, looks like the Chicken-Wuss got your girl."

"Yeah, well, I'll let it slide this time."

Zell looked up as Selphie squirmed away.

~What the???~ He looked at the person standing next to Irvine on the stage.

"Oh, hi! I didn't know you were going to help us with this!" Selphie said as she ran up.

======

Why is Sionna only cruel to Zell? 

Who was on the stage?

When will Seifer strike?


	9. Chapter 9

Things Change

Chapter 9

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.

======

"Yeah, well, luckily a friend of mine saw me hoofing it on the road and was kind enough to give me a lift. And since someone decided to just ruin my plans for the day, I thought I'd come and help you."

"Yeah, we even got that first backdrop finished!" Irvine said as he hopped off the stage and gave Selphie a quick kiss. "So Zell, how are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Are you sure? I mean, if you just want to rest..."

"I'm fine." Zell pulled himself onto the stage and in front of Sionna.

"Now listen I am sick and tired of your holier-than-thou attitude. I'm sick of your little cryptic phrases and your little pop ins."

"Can you believe this? He's only known me two days and he's smitten." Sionna said as she turned and picked up some paints. Selphie was giggling and Irvine was just shaking his head.

"SMITTEN?!?! What would I possibly see in a Seifer wanna-be?!?!" Zell said while spinning Sionna around.

"I SAID..." Sionna pushed him down. "Don't grab me!"

Selphie and Irvine stared moving onto the stage.

"Come on everyone, hold up. Calm down." Irvine tried to work his way between the two. Zell got up and pushed him aside.

"I can't take the little witch anymore!" Zell raised his fist and punched her in the face.

"Zell! Don't! You don't know who else might come and help too!" Selphie said as she tried to hold back Zell's arm.

"I don't care! Right now I'm gonna give her just what she deserves!" Zell kicked Sionna in the side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to my little sister Chicken-Wuss?"

~Great, two surprises within ten minutes of each other.~

"What is he doing here?!?!" Zell asked as he spun to face Irvine and Selphie.

"The D.C and Library Committee promised to help with the festival." Selphie said. Irvine moved over to try to check Sionna, but stopped when Zell stepped in his way. Seifer hopped on stage, with Raijin and Fujin behind him.

"Yeah, and here I come, on a little goodwill mission, and what do I see? This Wuss," Seifer accented the word Wuss. "Attacking my little sister? I'm sorry, but family ties demand that I step in." Seifer walked right up to Zell's face. 

And then Zell felt himself falling. His legs had been kicked out underneath him. He opened his eyes and looked up.

"I can handle myself." Sionna said as she walked past Seifer.

"Didn't look like you could." Seifer said as he turned to face her.

~That sounds familiar...~ Zell thought as he tried to get up. He felt the edge of a gunblade cut his leg.

"Don't even think about it. I heard you say she's been asking for a beating. Well, I think you deserve it much more." Zell felt the end of a staff hit him the head, and then everything went black.

---

Zell opened his eyes and saw an infirmary around him. Lheia was working around him.

"You know, soon I'm going to have to open a separate ward for people Seifer puts here. Oh, hello, welcome back to the world of the living."

"How long was I out?" Zell asked as he propped himself up on one elbow. He saw Aeron come in and start working around the room.

"About three hours. Just a slight concussion. Raijin is going to be serving a suspension for that. Seifer will be joining him for the slashes in you leg. So far I think Fujin is the only one who was smart enough to keep out of this scuffle." Lheia looked at him. "Feel strong enough for visitors? I think someone wanted to see you."

"Sure."

~Why not. I wonder where the little Almasy is... I thought she was a major volunteer here...~

"I'll go get her." Lheia left the room. Aeron came over.

"Hey, so how you feeling?"

"Awful. No thanks to 'her.'"

"Sionna? What's your problem with her?"

"She is annoying and seems to devote her life to pissing people off." Zell said while starting to sit up.

"Its better if you lay down for a while." Aeron said as he walked around. "And she has a good reason for her attitude toward you. You touched her."

"So?"

"Listen, I can't say anything without her consent, but let me tell you this. The only people I have ever seen touch her, and not get their brains beaten out, are you and Seifer. She even knocked me out once when I grabbed her shoulders and tried to scare her in the cafe." Aeron grabbed a Combat Weekly off the shelf. "Here, since you might be here a while, it might be best if you read this."

"Thanks."

~Why wouldn't she want people touching her? Weird... I guess its probably a normal Almasy trait though.~

"Hello Zell." Zell saw Quistis enter the room. She smiled and nodded at Aeron as she sat down on the edge of Zell's cot. "You doing okay?"

"Just peachy."

"I expect that from Seifer or Squall, but not from you. I guess you've been around Seifer too much lately."

"Please, don't remind me."

"I hear you beat up a girl. Bravo. I don't think Seifer's even come that far."

"Listen if you came here to lecture me Quistis, you can just leave." Zell looked away from her.

"No. I didn't come here to lecture. I came to see how you were doing. Well?"

"Okay I guess. Except for a massive migraine and my leg." Zell said while rubbing his head.

"That's good to hear. Raijin is lethal with that staff. We were all worried. Selphie said not to worry about the sets for the Garden Festival. She said that the three of you can start that tomorrow."

"I thought she had four people working on sets." Zell said, moving to sit next to Quistis.

"Sionna quit."

"For what reason?"

~Like I don't already know.~

"Because of you." Quistis said as she stared at her feet. "So Selphie says you, Irvine, and her will have to do double duty on the sets. Rinoa and Squall wanted to come with me when I came here."

"Why?"

"Rinoa is just... petrified. She's scared of you dying. You're making her fear for her own mortality too. And Squall seems like he's very nervous too. You're probably his best friend you know." Quistis looked Zell in the eyes. 

"We're all a little terrified. Just some of us are better at hiding it. I'm trying to rationalize it. Make it seem like its nothing. I've been at the library all day reading about Leukemia. Squall is thinking too much again. Rinoa is on edge. Irvine is trying to pretend that it isn't happening. Sure he knows its there, but he thinks as long as he doesn't name it, it will disappear. And Selphie... she's taking it hardest. She's trying to pretend that your disease isn't even as serious as a papercut."

"You shouldn't worry about me."

"No. We have to. Because before you were always the one to worry about us Zell. You always took all the worries and tried to be responsible and helpful." Quistis stood up and put her hand on his shoulder. 

"Let us worry about and take care of you for a change." Quistis said. Then she turned and slowly walked out.

Zell stood up and looked out the window. 

~What is Sionna doing out there?~

Zell walked out. 

"I have to go." Sionna walked quickly out of the room. Aeron looked to be a little shocked, while Lheia walked over to Zell.

"It seems that Aeron and I will be the only ones working on this case now. It is a shame. We could have used a good psychologist for you."

~Psychologist?~

"But, isn't he the?" Zell looked at Aeron. Aeron laughed a little.

"Well..."

======

Why does Sionna object to anyone touching her?

If Aeron isn't the Psychologist, then what is he?

Why, if Seifer dislikes Sionna, would he help her?

What will Zell do now? What will he do?

Will Seifer return?


	10. Chapter 10

Things Change

Chapter 10

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.

A/N: Wow, I think this is my longest series so far! Don't worry, I don't think it'll go past 15. I don't plan into going into the whole nitty-gritty of Zell's treatment. My friend doesn't want to talk about or remember when she went through her treatment and, to be quite honest, I'm bad when hearing about needles :::cringes::: and stuff like that.

======

"Well... see Zell, the thing is, we kind of mislead you." Aeron said while sitting down. "I'm the pre-med major. Sionna's the Psych major."

"But, then she hasn't done anything with regular medicine? She hasn't been here all these years?" Zell asked, looking from Lheia to Aeron. 

"No. She has been working here all these years. She just decided on psychology a few years ago. She does have a lot of medical training."

Dr. Kadowaki said as she sat down behind a desk.

"Why did all of you mislead me?"

"We figured that you wouldn't talk to the person who was the therapist-in-training, but that you would to the person you thought was just a med student. So we just kind of said Sionna was in my position and I was in Sionna's." Aeron went over and started putting some first aid kits in a cabinet. 

"It is a shame. You were really starting to connect with her." Lheia said as she shuffled through some drawers.

~What does she mean connect? We drove each other insane. I hate her.~

"Excuse me?"

"Well you would talk to her. More than you would to me. Especially this morning at breakfast? Damn, and I had to act like some dumb little caring dork." Aeron shook his head. "Well, at least I can be myself now. Now I know why Dad would never agree to put me through acting school."

"She seemed pretty on edge too. Flustered. I've never seen her like that." Lheia said.

"Yeah, she almost seemed like she had lost her composure. I don't know what you did, but I don't think Seifer's even made her act like that." Aeron said as he walked up to Zell. "If I were you, I'd apologize."

"Well you're not me." Zell stomped out of the infirmary.

~So they lied to me? Well, then she definitely deserved what she got.~ Zell walked slowly, watching the people around him. 

"How could you hit her?!?!" Zell felt a hat hit his head.

"Irvine..."

"Don't even start! How could you beat her like that?" Irvine was looking him right in the eyes.

"She deserved..."

"Nobody deserves to be treated like that! How could you? Were you even thinking? Don't you even know anything?" People were stopping to watch. Irvine was yelling at the top of his lungs. 

"Do you even know how she treated me?" Zell found himself yelling back.

~What is with everyone? The little witch got what she deserved!~

"Irvine! Stop! Maybe Zell didn't know!" Selphie came running up and placed herself between the two of them.

"That is no excuse!" Irvine said, trying to argue with her.

"Well, maybe he wants to go apologize now and he's gonna go find out what went wrong!" Selphie said, holding Irvine's hands.

"Still. He attacked a woman."

"Zell, are you going to apologize now?" Selphie turned and looked at him.

~I'll humor them.~

"Yeah."

"See!"

"Fine..."

Irvine gave Zell a dirty look. "But if I hear about you doing anything to her ever again..."

"IRVY!" Selphie said, jumping up and down in front of him. Irvine shook his head and walked off. The crowd watching slowly disipated. Zell waited until everyone had left before he started making his way to the cafe.

"You said you were going to apologize to someone Chicken-Wuss." Seifer said as he moved out of the crowd, Raijin and Fujin shadowing him.

"Yeah, so? What, are you and your posse gonna try something else? Want to go for an expulsion?"

"They wouldn't expel us for beating you up ya know."

"APOLOGIZE."

"Do it or we'll bust you and force you into suspensions." Seifer said, keeping his hand on Hyperion.

"That's blackmail." Zell said, while raising his fists. Seifer came close to Zell and whispered in his ear.

"Listen. I wasn't able to stand up for her or protect her before, but you damn well better believe that if someone threatens her and attacks her I will kick his ass. Understand?" Seifer backed up.

"Yeah, I get it. You want to justify beating me up." Zell said, leaning back.

"We don't need to justify it, ya know. We do it cause we enjoy it."

"Well enjoy it now, cause I'll be dead soon." Zell stomped off.

~Like they can tell me what to do. How old am I? Come on!~

"What do you mean, dead soon?" Seifer turned around and watched him leave.

"What, your dear little sister didn't tell you? I have cancer!" Zell said as he turned to face Seifer. Then he turned and walked towards the dorms.

~Why is it that I'm the one who's dying, but 'she' seems to get all the attention.~ Zell walked into the dorms. ~I wish she would just disappear. I mean, look at all the commotion she causes.~

He slowly walked through the hall up to Sionna's door. He looked behind him. 

~No one's following me. I don't have to do this...~ Zell looked at the door.

~Why do I feel bad about hitting her? Why am I here? She was cruel. She helped lie to me. I should be talking to my friends and helping them deal. Or maybe even at the infirmary talking to the Doctor, seeing when I can start treatments. So why am I at Sionna's door? Why am I even considering apologizing to an Almasy?~

Zell took a deep breath and knocked. 

He heard some shuffling on the otherside. 

"What?"

"I need to talk to you Sionna."

"Well I don't need to talk to you. Go away."

"Open up."

"No."

Zell leaned on the door.

"It would be a lot easier to apologize if you didn't have to make things so difficult..."

The door opened and Sionna stuck her head out. Her eyes were red rimmed and her hair was sloppily pulled back into a ponytail.

"I'm not the bad guy here you know! I'm the victim! You're the villain!" She tried to run out into the hall and get away. Zell grabbed her arm.

"Just wait one minute!"

"Let go of me!!!"

Sionna wrenched her arm free and took off down the hall.

~Man, and I thought she was tough...~ Zell shook his head. ~Well, they all can't say that I didn't try to say I was sorry.~

He walked into the dorm student lounge. Inside Quistis, Rinoa and Squall sat watching a show broadcast from Esthar.

"Hey, what's up?" Zell walked over and sat down with them.

"Finished thinking things through?" Squall asked, looking over at him.

"Almost. Still acting a little lone-wolfish, but I'll probably be back to normal by the time I start treatment." 

"Zell? Are you going to act like you're going to die now? Because if you do..." Rinoa looked sullen.

"No. I'm kind of past that now."

"Good. It was scaring me."

"Its nice you're back to normal. One Squall is enough." Quistis said as she grabbed a chip from the Pringles can.

"Hey. I was never as bad as he was." Squall said indignantly.

"Yah, you never really had that black sense of humor. You're more into sarcasm." Rinoa said. "So Zell, what do you want from us? I know this sounds bad, but I mean, well, we don't know how you want to be treated during all this. Do you want us to dote on you? Help you? Or just treat you like nothing's different?" Rinoa asked, looking at him.

~I didn't think they'd ask...~

"I guess I just want to be treated the way you always treat me. Just be willing to give me some space when I need it." Zell said, leaning back in the arm chair.

"Alright. Whatever you want. Its all up to you." Quistis said.

"It'll be nice to have a remnant of the old Zell back though. You were getting a little annoying." Squall said.

~So things might at least still stay a little familiar. I guess its all for the best.~

"So did you apologize?" Quistis asked.

"Didn't have a chance."

"I hope you do. Maybe if you talked to her you'd realize what a nice person she can be. Sometimes its hard to believe that her and Seifer are related."

"Maybe when I'm in a better mood I'll try it." Zell thought as he grabbed the controller from Squall. "First things first though. We can't be sitting here watching a chick flick." 

~Maybe I should consider apologizing and getting to know her. Despite her family she is kinda hot. Not that that's all that matters... Nah, that is all that matters.~ Zell smirked to himself.

======

Why did Sionna run off crying?

How will Seifer and the posse react to Zell's cancer?

Will Zell and Sionna ever stand on common ground?

A/N: I have a great idea for another series after this one! I'll give a preview teaser of it in the last chapter of Things Change. (So far it looks like chapter 12 might be the last one…)


	11. Chapter 11

Things Change

Chapter 11

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.

======

--{two hours later}--

"Man, The Rock is a good movie." Zell said as he stretched and stood up.

"That was way too gory." Quistis said, making a disgusted face as she rose. 

"Did you see when that guy's face melted at the end! That was so cool!" Rinoa exclaimed. Squall, Quistis, and Zell looked at her. "Well, it was pretty cool..."

~I never pegged Rinoa for action movies.~

"Yeah. I guess that was cool. Want to go get something to eat?" Squall asked.

"Sure. I'm not all that hungry, but I'll join you." Zell walked with them out of the room.

"Should we ask Selphie and Irvine if they want to join us?" Quistis said as she held the door for all of them.

"How bout I go look for them? Hey Zell, how about asking Aeron and Sionna if they want to come too?" Rinoa said.

"Fine. I'll go ask Sionna though. We have to talk anyway. Could one of you look for Aeron?"

"I'll go look for him." Quistis said as she walked off. 

"Okay, we'll meet at the front gate in half an hour." Rinoa pulled Squall after her.

Zell watched as the three of them left him.

~So... If I was Sionna, where would I hide to cool down...~

Zell slowly walked to her room.

~Its a long shot, but who knows, maybe she returned to the scene of the crime.~ Zell knocked gently on the door. 

No response. No noise. Nothing.

~Okay. Well, where else would she go...~ Zell walked away. ~She likes to be alone sometimes... Where is an isolated place? The secret area is at a time where it will get busy. The cafe has people. The library is quiet, but always mobbed. People are working in the quad.~ Zell stopped at the exit to the dorms.

"The second floor deck." Zell whispered. He walked towards the elevator. 

~I hope I'm right...~ He ran up the stairs and pressed the button. He ran in. ~I hope she isn't crying though. Hyne knows I can't take it when women cry.~ He tapped his foot to the floor as he waited for the elevator to finally rise.

He ran out the second the doors opened, and as he looked toward the balcony, he saw Seifer walking out of it.

~Great. This is probably a good sign, but I really don't want to deal with him now.~

"I'd beat you up, but in light of recent revelations, I'm deciding against it." Seifer said.

"I feel honored." 

~Should I ask?~

"Is she out there?"

"Yeah. Listen, she barely talked to me. I doubt she'll even look at you. Let me just warn you. Don't pry. I don't think you're up to it." Seifer said as she walked past Zell.

"What do you mean I'm not up to it?" Zell asked, turning to face Seifer.

"You're a Chicken-Wuss. You can't handle bad situations. Especially when they happen to other people. I'll admit, you're handling your own situation pretty well. But when it comes to other peoples... well, I don't think you could handle this one." Seifer turned and looked at Zell. 

"You're heading into pretty deep waters Chicken-Wuss. Watch it or you'll drown."

~What is up with him? Its not like I'm going there to hear her life story. I'm going there to apologize and invite her to dinner with the group. That's it.~

Zell opened the door.

Sionna was sitting on the edge looking down. Zell walked over towards her.

"Its beautiful up here at night." He looked at her. She wouldn't look at him. She seemed to focus on the night birds that flew around.

"So are my charm and and good lucks sending you into such a shock that you can't speak?" Zell tried to look her in the face. Instead, she still looked down.

"Can we talk?"

She still looked away.

"Can I talk while you listen?"

~Man, for once Seifer is right.~

"Listen Sionna. I came here to talk for the same reason that I was at your room. I want to apologize. I'm sorry for grabbing you without your consent and I am extremely sorry for attacking you in the Quad."

Sionna still looked down.

"Okay, if you're listening, look up once and roll your eyes, then look down again. If you're not, then keep doing what you're doing."

Zell watched.

~Please. Let her look up.~

Sionna raised her head and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, so we're at least at a starting place. This is good. Considering how for the past few days you devoted your life to making mine miserable..."

"I wasn't making it miserable..." She whispered, looking down again.

"What was that?" Zell leaned down.

"I was trying to help you. You were hostile about finding out about your disease. I wanted to help you. I wanted to give you someone to blame, to be mad at. Otherwise you would have taken it out on your friends and family." Sionna shook her head.

"But you didn't really think." Zell lifted her head. "You have to realize that maybe I didn't want someone to blame. Maybe I wanted someone who would be a friend." Sionna moved back and pushed herself away. 

"I'm sorry. I forgot." Zell put his hand down.

"Maybe I should have thought. But in the 2 other cancer cases I worked in, they both wanted someone to blame. To take their anger out on."

She pushed her hair away from her face.

"Well, still. I had no right to attack you. I really am sorry."

"Its fine. Now, if you wouldn't mind..." Sionna turned around and looked up at the stars.

"Actually, I wanted to ask you something. The whole group is going out for dinner, and I wanted to know if you want to come with us." Zell sat and waited. Sionna didn't answer.

"Would..."

"No. I... No." Zell heard her slightly sob.

"Sionna?" Zell moved and sat on the other side of her. She hid her head.

"Please go."

Zell sat and waited.

~Am I strong enough? Or am I a Chicken Wuss?~

"Listen, I have an idea." Zell moved his hands close to Sionna.

~She's like a wild animal. Make her come to you.~

"How about if I share one thing about myself, you share one thing about yourself?"

Sionna moved her hands closer to herself.

"Okay. You asked how I got this tattoo if I hate needles, right? You asked that the first day you saw me. Do you still want to know?"

She still wouldn't look at him. She slowly moved, as if she were going to get up.

"Does it have to be a personal thing? A deep secret?"

"If you want it to be, it can. It can be anything you want to tell me."

Zell moved back.

~I can't alarm her. She might run again. Funny, here is the girl who seemed so rock solid and harsh, and yet now she's acting like a little kid. Did I cause all this? Man, now I'm really feeling guilty...~

"Alright." Sionna slowly looked at Zell. She seemed to be looking at him, but never fodusing on him.

~Its like she is physically looking at me, but she really is somewhere else or focusing on something else.~

"I was about fifteen, and it was the only time I was ever drunk. I was drinking with friends and well, when I woke up I had this. I don't remember the exact time or place when I got it, but it was there when I woke up. I remember before I started drink I was talking with my friends and I mentioned that I wished I had something that made me stand out. That made me different. I mean, at first glance I look pretty average. They suggested a tattoo, but I told them how I hated needles. I got drunk and ended up with this. At least I finally had something that made me different. I guess I was lucky. Most people when they're drunk do things that they regret. Since then I haven't drank since, so I would never have the realization of waking up and discovering I had made a stupid, life altering mistake." Zell looked at her. Sionna still wasn't moving. 

"Well, its your turn."

======

What will be Sionna's secret?

Will Zell be able to handle it?

How can a strong willed person, like Sionna, suddenly be brought to her knees after one incident?


	12. Chapter 12

Things Change

Chapter 12

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.

======

"I don't know if I can... I mean... Seifer always says... and it wouldn't be fair to him either... and you're supposed to be a Chicken-Wuss..." Sionna debated, looking away from Zell.

"Those are all reasons not to tell me one of your secrets. Do you have a reasons for telling me?" Zell asked. 

"I promise I will try to be strong enough." Zell said. 

The promise seemed to have little effect on Sionna.

"I've had enough promises to last me a lifetime." Sionna just shook her head. "Will you listen? And only listen? Do nothing else?" 

"I don't know if I can do that." Zell said, offering her his hand.

~What is with her? She's so skittish, but when she talks to everyone she seems so bold.~

Sionna sighed. 

"You want to go and eat with your friends. If I start to tell you this, you probably won't be able to make it in time to meet them. Their feelings will be hurt."

"They'll understand. I'm dying. I'm allowed to have mood swings and be unpredictable."

~Wow, sarcasm, humor, T-boarding skills, intelligence, strength, and good looks, I have it all. Why is she still stalling?~

"That isn't funny."

"I know. I'm willing to sit and listen."

Sionna moved down from the ledge and sat on the floor, leaning against the edge.

"Seifer is the only one I have that I can depend on. Or at least depend on as much as I can." She stopped and turned to Zell.

"This is your last chance to chicken out and make a break for it."

"What do I look like, a Chicken-Wuss?"

~At least that made her smile.~ Zell watched as she shook her head.

"As long as I can remember, I have known that he is my real brother. And so we always used to try and get adopted together. We were only put in the same home twice. Thats how we got our last name, Almasy. Unfortunately the kind people who took us in died in a car crash. So we were sent back to an orphanage." She shifted and started staring at her feet.

"We always kept a hard exterior. Our motto was, let no one in, because when you do, people hurt you. It was hard for us to get adopted again. Then, when he was 12 and I was 11, we were put in a new home together. It looked beautiful. It was this house in Deiling, and we had a pet dog, and a mother, and a father. And the mother was nice and cooked for us and made us clothes. And the father seemed so happy and kind, and he would whittle toys out of wood for us." She seemed almost enchanted when she talked. Her eyes were almost glazed over.

"But it was all an illusion. The mother really had a violent temper, and when Seifer or I came home late from school or didn't offer to help around the house, she would beat us. At first it was rare, but soon it was happening everyday. Seifer would always try to protect me, but he never could. We were both so young..." Sionna started to sniffle. Zell saw that she was ready to cry.

"We couldn't do anything. She would just pick Seifer and me up and toss us around like rag dolls. The father still seemed good though." She stopped suddenly. Zell moved down and sat next to her.

~How did she end up so normal? Hyne I'm an asshole. How could I have hurt her?~

"You don't have to say anymore if you don't want to." She put her hand on top of his.

"I can't stop once I've started. Its too hard." She kept her gaze on her feet.

"One day, he was 13 and I was 12, and she attacked him. She just threw Seifer against a staircase. I heard this awful crack. At the time I swear I didn't know it was just the sound of the railing breaking off. I saw this knife on the kitchen table and.... and I... I just couldn't stop myself. I hurled it at her chest. It only hit her in the shoulder though. But it was enough to stop her. That was when the father came in." Sionna's voice started to break.

~Why do I get the feeling he didn't save the day...~

"He saw Seifer collapsed against the stairs and his wife with a knife sticking out of her arm and me lying on a heap on the floor. He grabbed Seifer and me by the arms and threw us down into the basement. We spent four days down there... I'll never forget it... It was so cold. And for the first day I thought Seifer was dead... He didn't move, and his hands were so cold... And I was so hungry... All I could think the entire time I was there is that we were going to die and it was all my fault..."

"It wasn't" Zell said, clasping her hand.

"I know that now. But then. Then I didn't know. The father came down one day. With a whip. He took it and he just kept beating Seifer and me, and then... then he tried to rape me." Sionna said, pulling her hand away from Zell. 

~So that explains why she doesn't like people touching her. I swear if that man is still alive I will actually join forces with the Lapdog and we'll hunt that false father down and kill him.~

"Seifer stopped him though. Somehow he had enough strength to trip him up after the father tied me up. It only made the father madder though. He beat us both to the point where we almost died. I remember screaming so much that my voice was gone for a month afterwards. Luckily a neighbor heard my screams. She called the police, and they came over immediately. After that, Seifer and I were sent here to Garden. We both were sent into counciling. He joined the Disciplinary Committee, so that he would be able to fight against evil people like the father and the mother. Once we got here he always said he wanted to be like the police that helped us." Sionna looked at Zell.

"Now for my secret. I'm studying Psychology so I can be like Dr. Kadowaki. She has a double major in medicine and psychology and I want to help people. I want to be there to help children who went through what Seifer and I did, and also I want to help others who need me." Sionna looked down at the ground. 

"I am so sorry." Zell said.

"Why? You weren't the one who attacked Seifer and me."

"But I attacked you." Zell touched her hand. She pulled away. "I didn't mean to do that, its just a force of habit sometimes."

"I know. Listen, I accept your apology. Its okay. Listen, you should be going. You'll be late." Sionna looked at Zell.

"Actually, I need your help. It seems that Aeron and Lheia think I need a good psychologist on my medical team." Zell smiled. "Any chance you'd think of filling the position?"

"I need to think about it." Sionna looked away from him.

"Sionna. Things have changed. This isn't the orphanage. I'm not going to come into your life and then hurt you. You don't need to live by the old philosophy that if you let someone in, they'll hurt you."

"It is hard though. I've lived with that for so many years now."

"At least make a start." Zell stood up carefully. "Come with us to dinner." He offered her his hand. She gently took it and slowly rose to her feet. She looked through him.

"I wouldn't be welcome..."

"You know practically everyone there. If you want we can even go hunt down some of your posse to come too..."

"They're just companions and classmates with similar interests. They really don't know me or care. The one I'm probably closest to is Aeron..."

"You mean you don't let them get any closer than just being classmates or companions." Zell said, still holding her hand.

"Yeah. I guess that's true..." Sionna slowly tried to pull her hand away. "Besides, I almost always eat dinner with Seifer and his friends."

"Please. Its a request from a dying man."

"A dying man who is going to start treatment and most likely go into complete remission." Sionna pulled her hand from him. Zell grabbed for her hand again and pulled her close to him.

"Sionna..."

======

WILL THEY KISS?

If they do, will it bring them closer together, or will it cause a rift to grow between a newborn friendship?

Will she join all of them for dinner?

A/N: Just to let you all know, 13 or 14 will probably be the last chapter.


	13. Chapter 13

Things Change

Chapter 13

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8.

======

Sionna seemed to move closer to Zell, when she suddenly stopped.

"Zell, please..." Sionna started to push back from Zell. "This isn't what I want."

~Whoa, mixed signals...~

"What about what you said on the stage and at the coast? About me wanting you? I thought you had a crush on me and that you were falling in love." Zell said, still holding her.

"I never said that I felt anything for you." 

"Not even friendship?" Zell let her go. Sionna looked him in the eyes.

For the first time she looked him in the eyes.

"Sionna, did you ever even consider me a friend?" Zell said, his hands turning into fists.

~She shouldn't be taking this long to answer. Its a simple question. A stupid question even. Would she have told me everything she just did if we weren't friends?~

"Sionna!" Zell watched as she shifted on her feet. She looked down.

"Zell. You are my patient. We strictly have a patient-aid relationship." Sionna said, slightly losing her composure. "Listen, you should probably go. Your friends are waiting for you." She regained her cool. Zell looked at her.

"What just happened? I thought we were sharing and actually starting to find some common ground." 

"Reality happened. You're a cancer patient who is going to most likely be a SeeD until 19, then become an instructor here. I'm a hospital aid who is going to stay in SeeD until 19 I'm finished with my schooling, then I'll move to Balamb or Esthar and open a private practice. Plus I'm an Almasy and you're a Chicken-Wuss." 

Zell looked at her. She had regained her confidence and was standing tall. She wasn't looking him in the eyes, and she was still looking down, but he assumed her eyes had the defiant icey blue glare again.

~She's back. That other side is gone again.~

"I'm sorry. I just made a terrible mistake. I assumed I was talking to the Sionna Almasy who I thought had a heart. I guess I was wrong."

~Great. Just great. I connect with her, and now I insult her. With my luck she'll go back to being kind again and I'll feel even more guilty. Why can't I keep from insulting her?~

"Goodbye." Sionna said as she walked slowly off the deck. Zell turned and looked out over the deck.

~Why do things always have to be so difficult for me?~

He looked at his hands. 

~I get dumped by one girl, who, despite the fact that I know I honestly really didn't care about anymore, I still felt hurt over. I meet another one who is essentially a bitch. Then I find out she was acting that way on purpose after I attack her nad try to beat her up. Then after I talk to her and think that maybe we've, at the very least, become friends, she regains her old attitude. Some guys get all the luck.~

He turned and opened the door.

"So if she's such a terrible person why is this bothering me so much?" Zell asked aloud. Fujin was standing outside the door.

"YOU WUSS." She said. She walked out. "CHICKEN-WUSS. You give in to the easiest way. She's just confided a deep secret to you. On tv when that happens the leading man scoops the maiden in his arms, kisses her, and makes everything better. You're no Matt Damon. She's no Julia Styles. You have to try and work with her. If she wouldn't trust you to even hold her hand, what would make you think she'd kiss you? Plus she admits that she doesn't even let people she always talks to get close to her. She's only known you two days."

"You know when you do that you're really annoying? Changing from commando to normal I mean." Zell said. Fujin shrugged.

"And you feel terrible because I'm assuming you just found out about her and Seifer's past..." Fujin looked at Zell. He nodded. "Plus you feel drawn to her because of what I call the Almasy Appeal."

"Almasy Appeal?" 

"Tough on the outside. An Almasy always acts in charge and like they have something to prove. Determined. Calm and collected. But the real charm kicks in when you find out what's on the inside. Unsure. Troubled. Lost. Kind. A man..." Fujin stopped and blushed. "I mean a woman who wants to keep herself bundled up and protected behind a wall, but also wants someone to help her. She'll never admit how she truely feels. Plus he has the most incredible blue eyes..." Fujin walked past Zell and looked out into the heavens, getting caught up in her own thoughts.

~Fujin in love... kind of hard to imagine.~

"Does this appeal ever wear off?"

"NO." Fujin stood staring. 

~Well, she's back to one word sentences. I guess that means she wants to be alone.~ Zell looked away and walked out.

He walked towards the elevator. 

~Well, at least it'll be a pleasant dinner. No arguments or interruptions.~ He pushed the button and waited for the elevator to come. 

~How dare she accuse me of being drawn in by some Almasy Appeal?~

Zell walked into the elevator.

~That's just crazy. Who cares about her? In a few months she'll mean nothing to me.~ 

He walked out as the elevator hit the first floor. 

~Well, I won't let her attitude bother me. I'll just go and have fun with my friends. Maybe I'll even move out of Garden while I'm having my treatments done...~ Zell stopped.

~Oh, I have such a good idea.... but would it work? Who would know? Not Fujin... She's got the Almasy Appeal for Seifer and look how far SHE'S gotten. And she's known him for about 8 or 9 years now...~ Zell looked around. 

~Quistis isn't good with stuff like this. Squall either. Rinoa is, but she'll want to bring Squall in on this... Selphie isn't... Irvine might know, but he isn't exactly all that happy with me after I attacked Sionna...~

"Here I have a plan that is pure genius to find out someone's true feelings and what happens? No one to help me fine tune it and tell me it will work." He grumbled as he threw his hands up into the air. "All I want is a little luck."

"Ah, so my sister was smart enough to know a Chicken-Wuss isn't worth her time." Seifer walked up.

"Go away Lapdog. I'm trying to find a loophole in the Almasy Appeal."

Zell said, acting like he was in deep thought.

"Why? You like my little sister? Don't get any ideas." Seifer pulled out Hyperion. "I don't think I'd approve of her dating someone like you. Almasy Appeal. So you've been talking to Fujin."

"Yes. And don't worry, there's no way I'd ever want your sister. I'm just trying to perfect a little plan I have for her..."

"Don't even think about hurting her. She's been through enough."

"I think she already told you she can take care of herself. Besides, this wouldn't hurt her at all."

"Listen. If you are planning to do anything to my sister, I have to hear what it is and approve it first. And if I don't approve, then I'll be forced to beat you up."

~Getting an Almasy's opinion on a plan to make someone show how they really feel... This might not be a bad idea.~

"Listen, I want an intelligent person's opinion on my plan. Not some Lapdog's. She's been a witch to me, and I want to expose her. See if it was all a joke. An aid-patient relationship. I want to see if maybe she thought of me as a friend even. I don't want someone who doesn't care about me at all working in the infirmary on my case."

"It involves my sister. You're telling me about it."

Zell thought for a second.

"Actually, for this to work I probably would need your help. Fine."

======

What is THE PLAN?

(BTW: I know I said 14 would probably be the last chapter, but I want to do a possible epilogue, so it might turn into 15. Any complaints?)


	14. Chapter 14: Kite

Things Change

Chapter 14

"Kite"

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own the U2 song here or FF8... Suki? Chaosgirl? Allora? Zellybaby? What are YOU all doing here?

Suki: We're here to say quit yanking us around.

Allora: You're killing us ya know.

I'm just writing a story.

Chaosgirl: But all these cliffhangers and questions. Of course, I always have the right answers to them but still. Oh, by the way, Seifer, if you're reading, thanks again for stealing her disk and sending it to me.

Listen, I just want to write the second to last chapter.

Zellybaby: Oop, its 15 chapters again. Man, just decide how long it will be already.

Hey, you want me to drag the Library Girl Libby back in?

Suki and Zellybaby: NOOOO! Zell is ours!

[Zellybaby looks at Suki.]

Zellybaby: Seifer is yours. Zell is mine.

Suki: Sorry.

Allora: Listen, we're just here to say stop teasing us with questions and tricks and write the end.

Fine. Oh, also, I just want to say that Chapters 1-14 all take place over a 3 day period. Chapter 15 will be set about a year in the future.

Now all of you shoo! Or I won't finish this chapter!

[Suki, Allora, Zellybaby, and Chaosgirl run off.]

======

Zell clasped the handle of his duffel bag and stood at the front gates of Garden. He looked around.

~Where is everyone? They promised they'd come say goodbye to me.~

He started pacing back and forth.

~And so far the whole plan isn't working at all. Geez, who'd have thought it would be so hard to draw an Almasy out of her shell? She is worse than Seifer.~ 

"Zell! We're here!" Selphie ran up and hugged him, with Irvine, Squall, Quistis, Rinoa, and the posse in tow.

~The D.C? Huh, I didn't know Seifer was going to come.~

"Listen Chicken-Wuss, I know we've all had some hard times, but the whole posse wanted to come and wish you well before you head off."

"Thanks. So, everyone is here?"

"Yes, I brought everyone you asked." Squall said. "So what's the meaning of all this?"

"Yes, you said to us that your treatments would all take place in the Garden." Quistis said, folding her arms across her chest.

"I figured it would be too hard. Look how many mood swings and attitude changes I've had in the past 2 days. Its just best for all of us if I have my treatments in Dollet, and return when I'm in remission."

"You know we'd understand man." Irvine said.

"Its too hard for all of you to handle this. Like when Quistis and I were talking in the infirmary I realised something. All of you are being forced to go through changes and all this grief and worry when you don't have to. Plus with my mood swings I can be the awesome Zell you all know, but the next second I can be a heinous freak like Seifer."

"Watch it, ya know. Don't insult him."

"Leave it Raijin. He's injured. We'll get revenge when he's well again." Seifer pounded his fist in his hand.

"You should have at least let us throw you a party or something." Rinoa said softly.

"What, a going away party? Why? I'm not leaving. Sure I'm gonna be in Dollet for a while, but I'm not truely gonna be gone. And I'll be back soon." Zell shifted his bag. 

"So this is it. Don't worry, I'll be fine. Seifer, well, once I'm gone you can let all of them in on that plan I was trying to pull off. See ya all later." Zell turned and and walked down the road.

~So off I go. It really will be for the best.~

"Plan?" 

Zell heard the group talking in the distance.

"Yeah, I'll tell all of you when we're inside. He's trying to get someone to admit something. Plus there's something else you need to know to... but it will cost you."

Zell smiled as he continued down the road.

~So now its all gonna change. Go from one life to the next. Even if it will only be for a few months, maybe a year...~ He watched the road as he walked. 

~No big deal. And Ma said she'd consider coming when I mentioned going away for treatment. So I won't be alone.~

He heard a rustling from some nearby bushes and stopped.

~Did I junction Ifrit and Diablos?~ He searched his mind and found his two guardians peacefully sleeping. ~At least this time I'm prepared.~

"Diablos!" Zell called out.

"Wait!" He saw a young woman stumble out. "Stop!"

"Sionna. What a surprise. Didn't think you'd notice I was even gone."

Zell shook his head.

~So she took the bait. Hook, line, and sinker. Now to phase two...~

"Where are you going?" She walked up to him, and pushed him back. Zell glared at her.

"You know I had no trouble beating you up before."

"Shut up! Where the hell are you going?" She announced again.

"Away." Zell walked past. "Now if you excuse me, I have to be going. I don't want to miss my ship."

"But what about your treatment?" She was walking alongside him now.

"What, Garden is the only place in the world now where someone can be treated for cancer?" 

"What about your friends? Your family? Have you thought about them?"

She stepped in front of him.

"My friends have the Ragnarok and can come visit at any time. My Ma is most likely going to come with me. Besides, so far no one has voiced any objections. Its not like anyone has honestly asked me, 'Zell, please, we need you here, stay.'" He pushed past her.

"You know that this can be taken as a sign of giving up." 

"Or a sign of taking charge and responsibility of my life." He walked to the top of the hill.

"You should be careful walking on roads. A car could come out of nowhere and run you down." She said, walking after him.

"I've lived here as long as I remember. A car isn't gonna run me over. Besides, I'm just your patient. You said you didn't care about me."

"But that doesn't mean I don't feel some responsibility for you." Sionna grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the small sidewalk alongside the road. They both stopped.

"So its okay for you to touch people, but people can't touch you." He shook his head. "If you truely want to be antisocial and alone, you can't allow yourself to have any contact."

"Zell, as an aid assigned to your case I have to say that I believe it would be in your best interest if you stayed." She walked in front of him to block his path.

~Its starting to work. If I keep this up a little longer, maybe she'll cave...~

"Well, you're not on my case anymore, now are you?"

A car sped by.

"See, if you had stayed on the road, he would have run you down." He pushed past her and started walking down the hill. 

"No he wouldn't. I would have heard the car coming." 

The two were getting closer to the outskirts of Balamb, near the small parks where old people come to sit and children often played. They walked past three little girls jumping rope.

"Zell. Quit being a stubborn fool and stay. If you leave, you're only proving you're a Chicken-Wuss."

"Eh, Chicken-Wuss, Pig-Wuss, whatever. It doesn't really bother me any more." He kept walking.

~Why did she stop? Great, just what I need. Seifer was right. He said this would never work.~

"Fine..." She stopped and whispered something. He turned around.

"Yo, what was that? I couldn't really hear you."

"I need you here." Sionna fell to her knees. "I'm begging, okay? Happy? Stay."

"Why?" Zell turned and watched her, slightly smiling.

"Because I need someone to talk to. Some one else who is going through a hard time, like I did. Seifer tries to forget what happened. He tries to deny it. Right now you're facing something that is attacking you from the inside and you are helpless to stop it. When I was little, I was helpless to stop the father and mother from beating me." She looked down at the ground.

"You don't need a psychologist in your medical group. You have friends and family to talk to and help you through this. You don't need me. But I need you. I don't want to be alone in a crowd anymore. I want someone to talk to, who will understand what I'm going through."

He walked over to her and was kneeling down on the ground next to her.

"Zell, please stay here. Don't let me be alone again..."

~I didn't expect all this... I just wanted her to admit I was her friend. To admit that she can care about people, even though she's been hurt and thinks she can't~

"I will. I swear I will."

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

Zell and Sionna both jumped to their feet and turned around. Two of the jump roping girls were running past them. An old man was walking away from the cry.

"What's happening sir?" Sionna asked him.

"Some kind of monster's attacking a little girl." 

"We have to help her." Zell said, throwing down his duffel and taking off his backpack.

"Listen, you go into town and call Garden, tell them what's happening. I'll go see what I can do." Sionna ran off.

"Wait! Do you have a GF junctioned or anything?!?!" Zell cursed silently.

~It would have been better if I'd went. I have Ifrit and Diablo with me... I hope she has Nike with her...~ He ran towards the gas station.

"Hey Joe, listen. We have a monster outside. Call Garden for me. Say Zell told you to call. Tell Squall to send a squad out here pronto!"

"Hey Zell! Sure! Right away!" The attendant ran off into the office.

"Thanks!" Zell turned and ran back towards the park.

~Please let it just have been some gell eyes or a bomb that wandered out of the Fire Cavern...~

He felt his stomach drop when he say an arm lying out from behind a tree.

~Oh please Hyne no...~ 

As he got closer, he saw it was a little girl. 

"Honey, are you alright?" He knelt down next to her. She was unconcious, but she was breathing.

~I need to get her to safety, but where's Sionna?~

He looked around. 

A huge foot dropped down next to him.

"WHAT THE HELL?!?!"

"Zell! Its a T-Rexar!"

"Just run for it! You can't take it down by yourself!"

"Get the girl out of here! Hurry! I can handle this!" He watched as she threw three daggers at the beast. Two bounced off his scales, but the third lodged itself in the monster's eye. It screamed out and pain and it's tail lashed out, knocking down the tree next to Zell. He grabbed the child and jumped out of the way.

"Go!" 

"I'll be back!" Zell ran back towards the town. 

A huge cluster of people were standing outside the entrance, trying to watch and see what was going on.

"Here! Somebody take her." Zell was holding the little girl out in front of him.

~Dammit why isn't anyone doing anything!~

"Somebody TAKE HER! I need to go back there!" 

The hotel owner's wife slowly stepped forward. He practically tossed the girl into her arms as he turned and ran back to the scene.

~Please Hyne don't let me be too late!~ 

He ran through the trees and jumped over the fallen one. The T-Rexar was in a clearing now, and Sionna stood right in front of him.

"I'm back just like I..."

Zell stopped midsentence. He saw that Sionna was hunched over in pain, and had wounds all over her arms. He side was soaked in blood.

"FINAL RHAPSODY!"

A huge column of light shot out of the ground. Flames started to surround it. The pillar expanded and seemed to pulse with life. A voice could be heard softly singing from within.

"Time to say goodbye..."

The pillar suddenly stopped pulsing and shot out at the T-Rexar, vaporizing it.

Sionna collapsed to the ground.

"Sionna!"

Zell ran over and sat down next to her.

"Are you alright? Say something."

"Something... something is about to give. I can feel it coming... I think I know what it means..."

~She's in shock... she's delirious...~

"I'm not afraid to die..."

"Sionna, don't talk like that."

She closed her eyes.

"...I'm not afraid to live...."

"Sionna. Listen, you can't die. I need you here too. I need a psychologist on my side. We all need you. Stay with me. Come on..."

"Zell, hardness... it sets in... you need some protection... the thinner the skin..." Her voice started to get softer.

She opened her eyes and looked at Zell.

"I want you to know that you don't need me anymore. I want you to know.... you don't need anyone... anything at all...." Sionna closed her eyes again.

Don't wanna see you cry… I know this is not goodbye…. I know this is not goodbye……………."

Her chest rose, then fell one last time.

~Oh shit..~ Zell looked around.

"Is anybody here? I need help! Please!" 

He frantically searched through his pockets. He pulled out potions and eye drops, even a Rune Amulet...

~Come on... I know I have to have one here...~ 

He looked up and saw a SeeD car heading towards them. As he felt through his pockets, he suddenly found the smooth feather.

~YES! A Phoenix Down! I just hope its not too late...~

He gently laid the feather on her forehead...

~Please let this work...~

__

Something is about to give

I can feel it coming

I think I know what it means

I'm not afraid to die

I'm not afraid to live

And when I'm flat on my back

I hope to feel like I did

'Cause hardness, it sets it

You need some protection

The thinner the skin

I want you to know

That you don't need me anymore

I want you to know

You don't need anyone, anything at all

Who's to say where the wind will take you

Who's to know what it is will break you

I don't know which way the wind will blow

Who's to know when the time has come around

Don't wanna see you cry

I know that this is not goodbye

In summer I can taste the salt in the sea

There's a kite blowing out of control on a breeze

I wonder what's gonna happen to you

You wonder what's happened to me

...

Don't wanna see you cry

I know this is not goodbye

======

Well, that's it for 14. Next, Chapter 15. The last one...

(Its really more of an epilogue...) 

(The song Kite is by U2 and its on their new album.

Its a really cool song!

Course I like Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of)

======

Well, that's it for 14. Next, Chapter 15. The last one...

(Its really more of an epilogue...)


	15. Chapter 15

Things Change

Chapter 15

by Mariye

======

Disclaimer: I don't own FF8. And once again I don't own the line from the U2 song here.

======

-{ A year later... }-

Zell sat in the infirmary, which had become a second home to him. He had his hands clasped in front of him. Aeron was sitting across from him in the chair next to Dr. Kadowaki's.

"Do you have any idea what the results are?" Zell asked calmly, almost coldly. 

~I wish this would just get over with.~

Zell's hair was there, but sparce, and very thin. His face almost looked gaunt, and his black tattoo was in deep contrast with the color of his skin. He seemed to have gotten harder. His once carefree light blue eyes had turned dark, and had shadows behind them, hiding all the things he now knew and had experienced.

"Not a clue. Lheia wouldn't tell me. Besides, even if I did know, you know I couldn't tell you now man. We have to wait until your whole support group is here." 

In the past month Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, and even Raijin had committed themselves to being there for Zell. Sure some other people along the way had helped, and even Seifer and Fujin had laid off him a little. But his support group was there the whole time. Selphie and Rinoa cooked for him. Quistis helped him keep up with school work. Squall, Irvine, and Raijin even shaved their heads when they thought Zell was going to loose all his hair. Zell never lost all his hair though, and so Squall, Irvine, and Raijin ended up walking around looking like cue-balls for a month.

~That did help improve my outlook.~ Zell smiled faintly remembering how each of them looked. He still had the blackmail pictures.

"I'm not sure if I want all of them here."

"Come on man, you owe it to them. They've been here for the whole ride, you can't just cut them off at the end."

"Yeah, but what if its bad news? It would kill them."

"But they'd still want to know. Excuse me. I have to go check on our permanent patient. I'll be back." Aeron walked towards one of the small closed off rooms.

Zell leaned forward in the chair and tapped his feet on the ground.

~12 months now... maybe more... It seems like so much longer. Like a lifetime longer...~ He sighed and studied his hands.

~Living from day to day. This infirmary is more of a home to me than my room.... The first few months I should have just moved in here. And now what if everything's okay? Then I'll just have to come for about a month or two more for treatment to get rid of any lingering cells... And if I'm not... well, I don't know if I could stand going through all this again. Maybe I'd just get a little shack by the sea. Take it easy.~

The door behind him hissed as it came to life. His friends filed in, silent, like they were a part of a funeral procession.

"Any word yet?" Squall spoke first, sitting in a chair next to Zell.

~Its funny, before the 2nd Sorceress War this guy couldn't stand me. After the war he put up with me, considered me a friend. Now he's my best friend. The one who understood me best out of all of them. He would take it so hard if the cancer is still here.~

"None yet. Soon though." Zell looked and nodded to the group. Raijin leaned against a wall, trying to make idle small talk with Irvine, who reached his arms back to tighten the lost ponytail, and when he realized that it was gone, folded his arms over his chest.

~He's just lost without that long hair. I guess its for the better. It almost made him look like a girl. It made him grow up too. I gues when he realized I could die, he started thinking about his own mortality. He slowed down and started treating Selphie right. Now I wonder who'll marry first, Rinoa and Squall or Selphie and Irvine.~ 

Quistis nervously kept glancing around the room. Never letting her eyes settle too long on one spot.

~She's gotten so edgy. She was fine for a while, great. But once this day came up she started getting more nervous and scared.~

Selphie and Rinoa were watching Aeron tend to the permanent patient in the ward. Selphie held her nose, trying to protect it from the antiseptic smell. Rinoa fingered one of the fake flowers in a vase on a shelf.

~This kind of made Rinoa grow up too. And Selphie's more committed to her work now. And those plays she started writing are really good. I hope when she turns 19 she goes out to the shows in Deiling with Irvine instead of staying here and becoming an instructor.~

The door hissed again and everyone turned, expecting the doctor. Instead Seifer and Fujin walked in, hand in hand.

"Wow, next thing you know you'll all be applauding our entrance. Carry on, as you were." Seifer said as he plopped down in one of the waiting room chairs. Fujin stood beside him.

"ANY WORD?"

"None." Quistis said, now examining each of her fingernails with nail polish chipping off. "But we should hear any time now."

Everything seemed dead silent, except for the sounds of the whispering between Irvine and Raijin. 

Dr. Kadowaki slowly walked in, with Mrs. Dincht, Cid, and Edea following her. She sat down at her desk.

"Aeron, please lock the outside door for me." She said as she shuffled through some papers.

"Well, I know why all of you are here today. You want to know the status on Zell's cancer. I won't disappoint you. But before I tell you the results I just want to say how proud I am of all of you and your support for him in the past year. Also I want you to know Zell that you were always an ideal patient." She stopped and looked around.

"Please don't keep us in suspense..." Rinoa whispered.

Lheia smiled.

"Zell, I want to say that Aeron and I enjoyed having you in the infirmary all this time, but we have to give you tour walking papers now and kick you out. You're in remission. You beat it!"

"WOO HOO!" Selphie screamed out. She threw her arms around Zell. "I knew you could do it!"

"Thats great news, ya know? So this means I don't have to shave my head again?" Raijin said smiling. 

"This is great news! We couldn't lose one of our Orphanage Gang!" Irvine said, wrapping his arms around Selphie.

Quistis kissed Zell on the cheek and hugged him, and Rinoa rubbed her hand on his head.

"This is the best news... I'm so happy!" Rinoa smiled and wiped tears from her eyes.

"We couldn't have dealt with loosing you." Quistis said.

Squall rose and extended his hand. He smiled at Zell. Zell shook it. 

"Alright, now don't get comfortable Chicken-Wuss. This means the DC is gonna have to go back to usual. No more special treatment." Seifer said, while smiling a sad smile. Fujin also grinned widely.

"Its the best I could have hoped for." Zell said, faintly smiling. 

"So, we need to have a celebration!" Cid said. "Mrs. Kramer and Mrs. Dincht have agreed to cook a special dinner feast for everyone tonight!"

"First lets go out and do something though! See a movie! Go through a mall." Selphie said, while bouncing up and down.

"Whatever." Squall said with a smile. 

Zell noticed Seifer slipping into the side room.

"How about we meet for that outing at the front gate in an hour. I have some business..." Zell pushed through the crowd and followed Seifer into the isolated room.

Aeron was inside, bustling around the body of a still woman. He was checking machines, but when he saw Zell and Seifer, he headed out.

"Seifer?" Zell asked, walking in.

"I wanted to tell her. She couldn't be in the room to hear with the rest of us... so I thought I should come in and let her know what happened." Seifer reached for the sleeping girls hand and gently touched it. He looked around at Aeron, who was still standing in the doorway. Zell turned also.

"No change at all today. All her vitals are good and strong though. She's in perfect health... She just can't wake up." Aeron walked out the door. Zell walked around to the other side of the cot and took her other hand.

"I should be the one to tell her." Zell said softly.

Seifer shook his head and dropped her hand.

"Maybe we shouldn't even bother. Its not like she can hear us. If she could, she would have woken up by now." Seifer said angrily, dropping her hand.

"I think she can... I just think that she somehow can't get back somehow. Maybe she forgot. Besides, if you think she can't hear, then why do you come here?"

Seifer shook his head and walked out.

"Foolish hope. The foolish hope she always tried to get me to believe in..." He walked out.

Zell looked at Sionna and brushed a strand of her now longer hair out of her face. He sat down on a chair next to the bed.

"Its over. You don't have to worry about me. According to Lheia I'm not going anywhere."

He kissed her hand and then let it rest back against her side on the bed. The door to the room hissed open again and he heard footsteps again.

~It can't be Seifer. The footsteps aren't heavy enough.~ 

Zell turned around to see Matron standing at the foot of the bed, looking at the two of them.

"Its good Seifer and you visit her. She always hated being truely isolated, despite her fascination with being alone in a crowd. I'm glad for you Zell. Now I won't lose one of my children."

She watched as he went back to watching Sionna.

"Its almost ironic. When she was little she adored the tales of princesses in peril. Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel... and she would always ask me endless questions when I read to her. Could she be a princess... How could she find a prince... Did bad things like that really happen... Did a princess have to experience hardship in order for her prince charming to come... I think she honestly wished she was a princess. And now in a way she's become Sleeping Beauty."

"Except she won't wake up." Zell leaned back and looked at Matron.

"She will. One day. Maybe when her prince charming is near one day she'll suddenly awake like nothing was ever wrong."

"I can wait." He said. 

Matron nodded and walked out of the room.

"I wonder what's gonna happen to you..." He whispered as he put a stuffed bear next to her.

~I wonder if you wonder what has happened to me...~

Zell stood up and pushed the chair on the side. He walked to the door.

"I'll be waiting for you." 

======

[the end]

{A note from the author…:}

So thats it!

My first... well... technically second long running series!

So who wants to see a sequel? LOL

Maybe with Sionna possibly waking up? Hmmm...

Also, its funny, when I wrote all this I had no true intention of ever having Zell and Sionna end up together. I just wanted them to be best friends at the most. And look what happens. 

I guess I should have given the characters instructions on how to go through this. o^-^o

Now I know people are gonna say "MARIYE! You CAN'T let it end like this with Zell getting well and Sionna in a coma! You HAVE to have her wake up!" 

The way I see it though, its a good place to end.

Zell has possibilities reopened to him now that he is cured, but despite the fact that once again his life will change as he tries to get things close to how they were before, he has made a promise. He has promised to wait for Sionna.

I think its sweet. Now excuse me I need another tissue.

(While I was writing the part where Seifer and Zell go into her room I was almost crying.)

Thanks for reading! 


End file.
